I Need No One
by A Soldier Of My Own
Summary: Buying a cat and naming it 'Gaara' wasn't the first thing she'd done to purposely annoy him. And it certainly wasn't the last. Gaara x OC
1. Meet Tsubaki

A/N: I am re-vamping this. I stared this story when I was 18, and I'm 22 now. I hope to revamp and repost the entire thing and finish it up ASAP! It's just hard when you're finishing an AA degree in TV broadcasting and starting another in nursing.

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_Chapter One: Meet Tsubaki_

Everyone in the world has at least one friend.

Everyone has some semblance of a family.

Everyone has…A speck of humanity.

Right?

Partially.

The idea that we are 'all human in the end' isn't entirely true. For some of us, the phrase 'being human' is something to be taken literal. Because sometimes, you can't actually 'be' human…when you're not.

Centuries ago, when men were no more than simple farmers and rogue samurai and the world was unorganized chaos, there lived ten great demons. Many knew them as the Bijuu, the beasts with the tails.

There was the One-Tailed Shukaku, Ichibi no Shukaku. A monstrous, raccoon demon who had regular bouts of 'insanity.'

The Two-Tailed Monster Cat, Nibi no Nekomata, the two tailed cat of fire who lived for the hunt.

The Three-Tailed Giant Turtle, Sanbi no Kyodaigame, a bloodthirsty and relentless killer who had forgotten the meaning of the word 'kindness.'

The Four-Tailed Monkey, Yonbi no Saru, a proud leader among his kind, with a bit of a temper to boot.

The Five-Tailed Dolphin Horse, Gobi no Irukauma, a strange and unheard of creature, but not an oddity among his demon brethren.

The Six-Tailed Slug, Rokubi no Namekuji, serene and calm, with a strange love of human music.

The Seven-Tailed Horned Beetle, Nanabi no Kabutomushi, fleet of foot and a great lover of nature and all who inhabited it.

The Eight-Tailed Giant Ox, Hachibi no Kyogyu, a strange, humorous creature who's fascination with humans bordered on unnatural.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi no Yoko, who's hatred of humans could rival the Hachibi's love of them, and one of the most powerful of all the tailed beasts.

Then there was the final beast; this one bore no tails, and was therefore considered weak and powerless. A master of the water element, she was called, simply, 'Tsubaki,' a name given to her by her fellow Bijuu upon the day of her creation. Tsubaki was a dog demon, otherwise known as an Inu Youkai, and unlike many of her tailed counterparts, she did not harbor an intense hatred, or even a small amount of dislike, for the humans who inhabited the earth.

She seemed to be…fond of them, in fact.

Tsubaki spent many hundreds of years observing her brethren and their contempt for mankind. And after centuries of watching their hatred manifest and fester, she began to grow weary of her fellows.

It was only then that she decided that perhaps a change of pace was in order.

Tsubaki, in her love and fondness for the humans, had taken to watching voer village after village, observing the inhabitants and fawning over the simple and relatively carefree lives they'd been afforded. She longed to have such a life for herself, instead of the endless, unyielding centuries that lay behind and ahead of her.

So Tsubaki sealed herself away.

Never in the history of demon-kind had such a thing occurred, and her fellows were greatly angered by her decision to subject herself to the baser life-forms. What could she possibly gain from such an act?

But Tsubaki was unconcerned with the wallowing of the Bijuu hoard, and instead, focused on nurturing the life and spirit of the child whom she had sealed herself in.

Kimiko Mitsuko.

The girl's father had been a prominent member in a decade old ninja clan in one of the Hidden Villages. His wife had been a civilian. Tsubaki had, upon her decision, consulted with the human clan to request their permission to use one of their daughters as a vessel. Mitsuko was offered to her immediately, and the clan rejoiced at the idea of having a demon in their midst, one who could be utilized in their war against the other Hidden Villages.

However, no matter how the fortunate this may have seemed to the clan, it was anything but to the village.

Their leader, upon realizing what had transpired, immediately ordered the destruction of the child and the demon who was sealed inside of her. The girl was an abomination, a monster, and she could never be allowed to live, or hope to live, normally.

The clan immediately bent to the will of their kage, but Mitsuko's father was nothing if not a loyal and loving parent, and on the night when her execution was scheduled to be enacted, he stole her away from the village and into the wilderness.

By this time, the child was no more than four, and had grown accustomed to the strangeness her 'condition' afforded her. But when she was stolen by her father in the middle of the night and promptly left in the wilderness to fend for herself, her mind was not yet developed enough to understand that this act of betrayal was the act of a savior.

She was alone.

Almost.

Tsubaki had retained her consciousness within the child, and with her power, and her mind, she reached out to the child, and gently took the girl under her proverbial wing.

It was Tsubaki who became her mother and her father. And it was Tsubaki who taught her to live.

To fight.

To survive.

With the power inherited from the great demon sealed inside of her, Mitsuko lived a life alone, unknowingly secluding herself permanently away from other humans. The idea of meeting others like herself was there, but she had no drive to ever do so.

And thus, Mitsuko became a demon.

_**Kick. **_

A leg extended.

_**Block. **_

An arm shot up to block an shimmering opponent.

_**Punch. **_

A fist shot forward with lightning speed.

_**Spin. **_

A wide arc, a fluid circle.

_**Flip. **_

Strong arms flinging her end over end.

_**Good, very good. That's enough for today, my little one.**_

Mitsuko stared down at the dissipating water clone with a small smile. It was nice being able to summon clones. It gave her someone to spar with. Not that she was ever alone, and granted, fighting yourself was rather creepy, but still, it was better than nothiner.

_You think so? Thanks. So, what is it about today? Why do you seem so happy? Is there something you aren't telling me?_

_**Perhaps, **_the voice laughed. _**But you'll have to wait and see. Now, let us go and gather our belongings. It's time to go.**_

_Go? _She questioned back, unsure of where they would be headed. _What do you mean 'go?' I like it fine right where I am. I don't see why we have to 'go' anywhere._

Mitsuko could've sworn the demon shook her head.

_**It doesn't matter. It's time you lived with your own kind, or at least, **__**see**__** how they live. There is a village 130 miles north of here. I believe it is called Konoha. We will set out for it shortly.**_

Mitsuko snorted, cresting the rise that led to her small cottage. _I don't need anyone. Just me and you. That's all. How do you even know about that village? It's not like you or I have ever been there._

Tsubaki cursed under her breath, prompting a frown from Mitsuko. _**Because…There's something I must confirm…Something that has been nagging me for some time now. Please understand, child. I cannot quite…discern what it is from this distance, but I am confident that once we reach the village, I will be able to find my answers. And just because you're only fifteen doesn't mean I am too. You know I'm centuries old, right?**_

_Che. I guess so, _Mitsuko conceded. _But I don't like this idea. Like, at all. It's stupid. How long will we be there?_

_**Usually you'd put up more of a fight than that, girl. Glad to see you;'ve finally grown a brain in that head of yours.**_

_Yeah, well, you're part of that 'head of mine' so what does that say about you?_

_**Insolent pup.**_

_Whatever. How long?_

_**Not long, **_Tsubaki conceded as Mitsuko trudged towards the cabin to pack what sparse belongings she owned. _**I promise.**_


	2. One is the Loneliest

A/N: REVAMP! CHA! SHANNARO! Just as a side note, I f-in love strong, bad-ass Sakura. It's not relevant to anything, I just want everyone to know that 'SHANNARO!' is the best phrase ever...and I've mistakenly yelled it out in class after receiving an A. ...This is why they send me to college.

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Chapter 2: One is the Loneliest

_This…Is Konoha? What the Hell, man?_

_**Language, child. I don't want to hear it. You are to head straight for the Hokage's office. Immediately.**_

_Hokage? And that would be…Who? And…what? What the hell is a Hokage?_

Tsubaki sighed miserably. _**I had to choose you. Out of the millions of humans, it had to be you. What did I do to deserve this? Was it that puppy I accidentally stepped on? Or maybe when I locked Yoko in a box for three years? Oh, why me?**_

_Sheesh…Drama queen. I'll just get someone…To…Help…Wait a friggin' second! I don't even know anyone here,_

_**Great way to meet new people. Give it a shot. You know, socialize. That's what normal humans do.**_

_I'm not exactly normal._

_**You don't need to remind me.**_

_Screw this, _she snorted, turning to head back out of the village._ If you wanna do this so bad, why don't you do it yourself?_

_**Maybe the fact that I'm part of you slipped your mind. Now turn around and GO!**_

Mitsuko was forcibly yanked backwards by the collar of her shirt as Tsubaki's spiritual will struggled against her own. She tugged against the dog demon's invisible grasp, but found herself being dragged backwards despite her protests.

_Damn you... _She could almost hear the triumphant laughter of the dog demon as she sulkily headed back into the village.

Everything would have been fine and dandy for little Mitsuko…But the people in the town didn't think giving her a break was a very good idea. As she strolled casually down the street, she could practically _feel _everyone's eyes on her. It was so damn unnerving…

_**You're being watched.**_

_I know._

_**Not by the villagers. By the ANBU.**_

_The who-boo?_

_**Stupid child. The ANBU. They are Konoha's…enforcers, I suppose you could say. They are watching you, and will most likely kill you if you do anything…stupid. So try not to be so…you.**_

_Was that an insult?_

_**Yes.**_

_Oh. Well, good to know. _

_**-Sigh- Just don't piss anyone off, and you'll be fine.**_

Mitsuko allowed her eyes drift closed for a moment, reveling in the fact that she didn't have to look at anything but the inside of her eyelids. Everything was going fine so far, except for the stupid stares and the fact that she was being followed. But those could easily be ignored, as Mitsuko demonstrated by closing her eyes. This act, however, greatly impaired her vision as only closing one's eyes could do, and she was unaware of the person heading straight for her.

Well, up until she plowed into it, that is.

Her eyes shot open as a very loud thud hit her ears. She glanced down to see a blue haired young woman rubbing her backside and wincing as though she was in pain. Mitsuko rolled her eyes, extending a hand to assist the young kunoichi back to her feet. Hard blue eyes met soft white ones as the girl timidly took the proffered hand and heaved herself up.

Mitsuko watched her in silence, waiting until she collected herself enough to speak. "You should really be more careful. I suggest you watch where your walking."

The girl bushed, wringing her hands together nervously and trying in vain not to blush. "H-hai…Gomen nasai. I did not see you there. I w-was late for training."

Mitsuko snorted, giving her a skeptical look. "Training? _You're _a ninja?" She was rewarded with a timid nod and another blush.

"Hai…Are you…okay?" she questioned softly, not meeting the older girl's gaze.

"Hn. It'd take more than that to hurt me. But _really_. You'd think a _ninja _would be more aware of their surroundings. What's yer name, girlie?"

The blue haired girl looked up, slightly surprised by her question, though a blush stained her pale cheeks. "H-Hyuuga Hinata."

_Sheesh. She's like a tomato. _

"Well, Hinata-san, how bout' I make you a deal?" Mitsuko crossed her arms over her chest, giving the younger girl an amused look. "I'll forget this ever happened if you take me with you to your training. Do we have a deal?"

_**What are you doing? Does the word Hokage ring any bells?**_

Mitsuko smirked mentally, provoking Tsubaki's foul mood even further. _You dragged me in here. Least' you can do is let me enjoy myself for a while. 'Sides, you want me to make friends? This is prolly the best way to do that. _

The demoness snorted, curling up in the back of her vessel's mind. _**Fine…**_

Mitsuko gave her a triumphant look, only adding to the blue haired girl's confusion as she stared at her. "H-hai," she replied uncertainly. "I suppose Kurenai-sensei would not mind. Um…" She wrung her hands nervously again and Mitsuko decided she did not like that habit. "What is your name, miss?"

"Me?" she asked, blinking back her surprise, though it was inevitable that she'd be asked sooner or later. "Oh, shit, sorry. Forgot. I'm Kimiko Mitsuko."

Hinata bowed once, a small smile forming on her face. "It is nice to meet you, Mitsuko-sama."

Mitsuko frowned, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Che. Mitsuko is fine. None of that 'sama' crap, a'ight?"

Hinata smiled slightly, turning and beckoning her to follow. "Hai, Mitsuko-san. Follow me."

They walked in silence, Mitsuko quietly observing their surroundings while Hinata quietly observed _Mitsuko_. Hundreds of questions were running through her mind. Who was she? Where did she come from? Was she a ninja from another village? Was she dangerous? Hinata seriously doubted that this girl would be walking around so blatantly if she was dangerous…or an enemy. Hinata was certain Kurenai-sensei would know who she was, or at least be able to answer a few of her questions.

Her sensei always seemed to know _everything_.

The two passed a large, open field in companionable silence. There were four ninja, three of whom were quite short, doing some sort of training in the middle of it. The foreign woman assumed they were children, as Hinata was about the same height. Mitsuko glanced over briefly, not really interested in understanding their strange techniques.

The black haired one was relatively quiet and precise when he attacked, leading Mitsuko to believe he was somewhat skilled, for a child, at least. Considering he hadn't missed many of his blows, or at least had immediately countered with another when each of his strikes was deflected hinted at some kind of prodigal skill.

The blonde one was a different story;

_No one that loud should be a ninja. Aren't ninja sneaky-sneaky with smoke balls and hiding in the shadows? You can't wear orange and be a ninja. And you certainly can't yell 'Dattebayo!' every time you attack._

_**To each their own.**_

_Yeah well, his 'own' is gonna get him killed._

The pink haired girl on the team just looked completely pathetic (and miserable). She didn't even seem relatively skilled in much but defense, and even then she wasn't…particularly outstanding.

The tallest of the four, silver haired and completely oblivious to the effort of the others to grab the orange book from his grasp, was easily dodging attacks from all three of the children.

Mitsuko snorted, glancing over at Hinata who was blushing and casting covetous looks at the blonde ninja. She sighed, feeling like she was obligated to ask now that she ogled their training session. "Hinata-chan, who are those three?" she asked, pointing over at the field.

Hinata's blush only deepened. "T-that's Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san and Sakura-chan. The older one is their sensei, Kakashi-sama." This answer seemed to satisfy the demon vessel's curiosity, and Hinata said no more on the matter, leaving the training field and the obnoxiously loud 'Dattebayo's' behind.

The two of them finally arrived at the edge of the forest, quite a ways from the field of practicing ninja. Mitsuko gazed around interestedly, while Hinata sat on a fallen log.

"Hinata…Um, I _thought _you had training."

"She _does_."

Mitsuko glanced over her shoulder, blinking dumbly for a few moments, before her gaze landed on two silhouetted figures standing behind Hinata. They didn't seem hostile, and Hinata wasn't running in fear, so she relaxed…_Marginally_.

"And _you _are?" she inquired tiredly, waving a hand curiously.

The boy with the painted face -or what she hoped and assumed was paint- narrowed his eyes right back, a small growl issuing from the dog at his heels. Mitsuko offered the tiny creature a look of contempt, an insolent smile breaking out on her face when it whimpered and slunk back behind it's master.

"We're her teammates. Who the hell are _you_?" the feral eyed boy snarled, casting a worried glance at his whimpering dog.

"T-this is Mitsuko-san. She…Um, asked if she could come and watch our training. Mitsuko-san, this is Kiba-kun and Shino-kun. They're my teammates," Hinata explained softly, standing up and coming to stand between Mitsuko and her teammates.

The boy with the glasses regarded Mitsuko silently. She paid him little heed. He didn't seem to want to cause her trouble, and she could only say the same for herself. But dog-boy seemed intent on ruffling her proverbial fur.

"Why don't you just get lost. We don't need a third wheel."

"Hn," Mitsuko hummed, grinning wickedly. "Then what do you call that shaking ball of fluff at your feet, hm?"

Kiba seemed to puff up, and started towards her. But a hand on the back of his jacket stopped him. "Kiba, settle down."

Mitsuko tilted her head to the side, arms folded neatly across her chest as she observed the woman who had silently, albeit, mysteriously, appeared. Her red eyes flickered towards the newcomer, before narrowing slowly.

"I don't know who you are, but you'd best report to the Hokage's office before you cause anymore trouble." She released her hold on her pupil, imitating Mitsuko by crossing her arms and assuming a defensive pose.

"Che. I was just on my way there. Don't get your sandals in a twist. Oh, and by the way," she turned, glancing once over her shoulder. "I didn't start it. Dog-breath did." Mitsuko began backtracking the way she came, waving absently as she went. "See ya, Hinata-chan."

_**So much for making friends.**_

_Shut up._

She once again passed the field, not even sparing a glance at the blonde haired boy that was now sitting near the path. He looked up as she passed, his blue eyes brightening magnificently at the appearance of an unknown person.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" he called, drawing Mitsuko's attention over to him. She heaved a weary sigh and dragged her feet towards him. "You a ninja from another village, aren't you? What're you here for? Eh, eh? Is it a secret mission?"

She was slightly relieved when the silver haired man appeared at his side and clonked him over the head with his book wielding hand.

"Ite! What was that for, Kakashi-sensei!"

The man smiled behind his mask, his visible eye curving upwards to indicate his mirth. "For being so stupid. You don't just ask someone that. If it's a secret mission, she wouldn't have told you anyways. Now, why don't you start over, and introduce yourself _properly_."

"Oh, right. Um. Sorry about that," the blonde haired boy replied sheepishly, turning to Mitsuko and rubbing the back of his head. "I am Uzumaki Naruto! And I'm going to become the next Hokage!"

Everyone but Naruto sweat dropped.


	3. Rooster Hair

_A/N: And chapter three revamp! CHA!_

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_Chapter 3: Rooster Hair_

Mitsuko clamped her hands over her ears, her eyes shut tightly as she tried to drown out the whining of the newly named Naruto. After his declaration, Kakashi had deemed it necessary to thump him on the head once more with his book, earning everyone the pleasure of a seriously _annoying _whining fest from the completely un-injured blonde.

Because of this, Mitsuko was unaware of Naruto's teammates coming towards them, both clamping hands over their ears the moment they were within 'whining distance.' The pink haired girl immediately knocked him over the head again, effectively shutting him up. Mitsuko looked up at her, raising a brow in question.

The girl shrugged briefly and smiled at her, offering the foreign girl a friendly wave. "Hello there. I'm Haruno Sakura. Eh, this is Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi…And I think you've already been blessed with this dobe's name…"

The blonde whimpered, looking slightly hurt. Mitsuko brushed off the faint concern that briefly flittered through her mind, deciding it was probably nothing more than a small bout of indigestion or something. "Meh…" she replied, uninterested. "I'm Kimiko Mitsuko."

_**Cute. You're making friends.**_

_Will you just shut up?_

_**So rude… **_Tsubaki grumbled, contenting herself with watching the four standing in front of Mitsuko.

"So…Why _are _you here, Mitsuko-san? You don't look like any ninja I've ever seen. And you're too old to be a Genin. So why not enlighten us, eh?" Kakashi inquired somewhat tiredly, sticking his nose back in his book. Mitsuko was slightly distracted by the cover of the orange bound reading material, and failed to find an answer quick enough.

"Eh? Oh, uh, well I actually don't really know. I was sent here by a…friend and she said there was something she wanted me to confirm. I was on my way to the Hokage's office but I…Don't…Really….Know where it is…" She deadpanned, glancing back down the path.

_**Good cover story. What will you come up with next?**_

_I swear, Tsubaki. One more word and I'll buy a cat._

_**You wouldn't DARE!**_

_I would._

_**Fine. Shutting up then.**_

Kakashi raised an amused brow, though his eyes never left the pages of his book.. "Well, that was evident enough. You did seem a little lost. Why don't _we _take you there, ne?" He closed the book and stuck in in one of his pockets.

Mitsuko looked a bit taken aback. "Uh, I guess that's fine…"

He nodded happily to himself, and shoved his hands into his pockets, starting off down the path. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Mitsuko took this as their cue to follow him. The raven-haired young woman fell into step beside the Uchiha, casting him surreptitious glances out of the corner of her eye.

"Hum," she buzzed happily, poking him in the shoulder. His eye twitched, but he said nothing. "How is your day going? Mine's been rather confusing."

No answer.

"Fine…Be that way. Jerk…"

Another Twitch.

Mitsuko was suddenly caught up in just how funny he looked when he was annoyed.

"How old _are _you?" Poke.

Twitch.

"Have you lived here all your life?" Poke.

Twitch.

"Is that pink haired girl your girlfriend?" Poke.

Twitch.

"How come you aren't answering me?" Poke.

Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE ANNOYING! Now will you stop poking me and shut the hell up!"

Mitsuko allowed a throaty chuckle to escape her lips, picking up her pace and walking ahead of him. "Jeez. What's got your _feathers _all ruffled, _rooster hair_?"

Twitch.

"Here we are…"

"FINALLY!" Everyone turned towards Sasuke, giving him a very odd, questioning look. The young Uchiha merely glared and turned his head away, leaving a very amused Mitsuko to enter the building alone.

She waved cheerily in the direction of her four escorts, offering them a hearty "I'll take it from here, thanks," and carefully made her way over to the, what she interpreted it as, receptionist's desk.

"Yo. Name's Mitsuko. I'm sorta here to see that Hokage dude."

The man behind the desk raised a skeptical eyebrow, passing his gaze over her in one fluid sweep. He seemed rather unimpressed by her introduction. " 'Sorta?' Are you here to see him or _not_?"

Mitsuko frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am. Can I see him now, or are we going to play 'twenty questions?' Cuz I got a hell of a question for you and it's somewhere along the lines of 'Do you know what a human heart looks like when it's been punched out of someone's chest?'"

The man offered her a half-hearted glare, not seeming as interested as before, and nodded in compliance. "Fine, whatever. Just go through that door and down the Hall. It's the largest door on the right. There's a red one, a green one and a blue one. His is red. _Red_. As long as you aren't as colorblind as you are dumb, you'll be fine."

Mitsuko smiled cheekily. "Che. Sweet talk will get you no_where_," she called over her shoulder as she sauntered down the hallway.

**Red **_**door, Mitsuko. Red. Red. **_**Red**_**. It's not that hard to find.**_

_Okay, what part of 'shut up' confuses you?_

_**You will need me from here on out, child. I suggest you shut your own mouth and let ME do the talking.**_

_Fine. But no funny stuff..._

_**I solemnly swear…**_

_Where have I heard _that _before?_

Mitsuko eased open the red door, peeking around the corner to make sure it was actually the _right _room. Seeing a man perched behind a desk, she slid inside, closing the entry way with a light click.

"Hokage-sama?"

The man looked up, his face half-hidden by shadows. "May I help you, young lady?"

"Uh…yeah," Mitsuko replied timidly. Now _here _was a powerful human. Even Tsubaki grudgingly admitted this, and it didn't take a half-brained idiot to know that he could put her through the wall without much effort on his part if he really wanted. Mitsuko, however, was at a loss as to what she was supposed to do now. What would one do in a situation like this? Did they bow? Curtsy? Grovel?

She opted for the less humiliating of the three, and bowed deeply.

"Have a seat, miss. Now, what can I do for you?" The old man offered her a genuine smile, a pipe poking out from between his aging lips as he tilted back in his chair.

_**I believe it is time I took over, don't you, Mitsuko?**_

_Sure. No funny stuff, remember?_

Mitsuko closed her eyes tightly, feeling a familiar tingling sensation envelop her senses as the demoness began to commandeer her body for herself. There was a sharp, prickling at the back of her scalp, like her skin was being tightened at the base of her skull. She could feel her soul being shifted, pushed back into a cell of it's own as it was shut away for later summoning.

The Hokage watched with veiled interest, noting a strange change in the girl's chakra patterns. When Mitsuko's eyes opened, they were no longer blue, but instead had shifted into an almost luminous gold. The Hokage was mildly surprised.

_Mildly_.

He'd seen stranger things.

Like a dude with an extendable tongue.

Yeah. Way stranger.

"So…You _too _are possessed by a demon…" he stated boldly, more as a fact than a question.

Tsubaki-Mitsuko nodded, her sharp gaze never leaving his face.

"_Quite astute, human, although with senses such as yours, I doubt it was difficult for you to detect my shift in chakra. My name is Tsubaki." _She saw a look of recognition flash across the old man's visage at the mention of her mythical name. _"And I was the one who instructed Mitsuko to come here. There are a few things I must confirm firsthand."_

The Hokage nodded, letting his chin rest in his wrinkled hands, a look of mild wonder adorning his aged features. "Tsubaki, eh? Interesting." He waved his hand slowly. "Go on, then."

"_First of all. Kyuubi. _Where _is he?"_

The Hokage leaned back in his chair, regarding the human-demon with a closed, thoughtful look. "He has been sealed away. Inside of a boy named Naruto. I would have thought you'd have heard of it by now, Tsubaki. If you are truly a demon, shouldn't you know the whereabouts and dealings of your kin? It happened nearly twelve years ago, you know. Why now, of all times, do you wish to confirm such a story?"

Tsubaki-Mitsuko offered the man a worn look, crossing her arms over her chest as she reclined in her chair. That was the boy they had met only a few minutes prior. She had been intrigued by his odd mixture of Chakra, but had not commented upon it, for fear of jeopardizing her vessel's position.

_"I am a demon, Hokage-sama. Not omnipotent. I thought they were mere rumors. I guess naiveté is my downfall. I had supposed Kyuubi could _not _be sealed away. He was far more powerful than one might be lead to believe. I can't begin to comprehend the amount of chakra and sacrifice it must have taken to lock him away. But my assumptions were quite incorrect, I'll admit. It's nice to know he is no longer a threat to you...Mortal folk."_

She did not miss the look of pain that flashed across the Hokage's face, nor did she miss the warning pulse of Mitsuko's spirit. _"Now, second question. I felt a flare of Chakra that indicated the Ichibi was…active. _Where _is Shukaku?"_

The old man glanced at the wall, his expression thoughtful. After a few moments of silence, he turned back to Tsubaki with an answer. "He too has been sealed away, though his spirit, I'm afraid, is far harder to control. The seal was not performed correctly and the Jinchuuriki has become tainted with the remnants of the Sand Priest's hatred." He rubbed his chin in thought, a frayed look in his eyes as he studied the wall intently. "Last I heard of his vessel, he was a sadistic murderer with no emotions and hardly _any _self-control. I am unsure of how that has changed, but I doubt the change, if any, is significant. He resides in the Hidden Sand. I hear the Kazekage was partly to blame for the incorrect sealing; they don't seem to understand what they're dealing with."

Tsubaki-Mitsuko nodded, tipping her chair back on it's hind legs as she mulled over this surprisingly new information. _"No, I doubt they do. This changes things, I suppose. I don't have much time here, and neither does Mitsuko. It will not be long before Kyuubi and Shukaku sense my presence. They will seek me out. Whether they be friend or foe when they find me, however, is hard to say. I did not leave them on the best of terms; they were unhappy with my decision to bond myself so willingly with a human. I imagine that anger will be double-fold now that they've been forced to do the same thing." _

The Hokage studied her closely, watching as her eyes flickered to and fro as she shifted through her thoughts in relative silence. Her dark hair splayed over the back of her chair as she folded her hands primly in her lap, and refocused her gaze upon the old man before her.

"_In the meantime, Mitsuko shall need lodgings, as well as a secured place within the community for the time being. If anyone asks, she is on a diplomacy mission from the Land Hidden in the Stone, or some such. I doubt there many would question her arrival, but just in case..."_

The Hokage nodded, a small smile lighting up his sunken features. "I can arrange that. I am sure Mitsuko would feel right at home here. I won't question your need to stay for such a short time, nor will I ask you to stay permanently if it is not something you feel comfortable with…although it couldn't hurt. We're always in need of new blood in the village." He smiled thinly, his eyes narrowing in the shadows. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tsubaki-sama. I hope we can speak again soon."

Tsubaki only offered the old man an enigmatic smile, and allowed her soul to fade back into the recesses of her sealed chamber. _"Perhaps, Lord Hokage. Perhaps..."_


	4. Protect

A/N: Revamp and some chapters were squished together~

* * *

_Chapter 4: Protect_

Morning in Konoha. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the children are laughing….The…Alarm clocks are flying?

What the…?

"Hum. _Why _do you have to ingrain me on all aspects of Konoha life again? I mean, training? With _twelve _year olds? Come on, Tsubaki!"

The demoness cackled merrily, causing Mitsuko to wince and grasp her head. _**You need to learn. You are an uneducated idiot, if you ask me. Now shoo. Get out there and drain your little heart out! Good night, darling.**_

"Good night! What the f-"

"MITSUKO!"

"Gah!" The raven haired girl tumbled from her bed, startled by the abrupt shout. She hastily untangled herself from her sheets, leaping to her feet, and scowling mightily as the door was thrown open and Sakura burst inside.

"Time for training! _Now_! Get up_. _I don't wanna be late _too_." She winked one emerald eye and disappeared out the door. Mitsuko mumbled something unintelligible under her breath, earning a disapproving and very un-demon like grunt from the dog demon.

_**She's right, you know. You are…About fifteen minutes late.**_

"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" Mitsuko feigned worry, placing a hand on her forehead and swooning dramatically. "Oh, I know. How about I _don't care_." There was a gruff tug on the back of her tank-top, and Mitsuko found herself stuffed in the closet.

_**Get dressed, and hurry up.**_

Mitsuko grumbled sorrowfully, dragging her feet as she moved about to collect her outfit for the day. A sandal here, a shirt there, a pair of pants on the chair. Yep, she was ready, if not a bit wrinkled.

_**You need to learn to be domestic. Ask Sakura to teach you to iron.**_

_Go to hell..._

And out the door she and her new training buddy and temporary roommate went.

Oh _joy_.

8888

"Owww…Sakura-chan."

Mitsuko snorted into her hand, letting her gaze wander about the field. Everything was just so...Plain. "How do people live here, day after day? Don't they get tired of the same old things, Tsubaki?" she murmured softly to herself.

_**It's called a home, kit. You might learn to like it, over time. Just give it a chance.**_

_What I'll give it is a swift kick in the a-_

_**Mitsuko.**_

A heavy rush of air escaped her lips as she hauled herself up and started back down towards the others. It seemed Kakashi was already there and judging by the looks of it, had delivered a fresh blow to Naruto's already lumpy head.

Mitsuko had never seen someone with such a bright outlook on life get pounded on so much. Naruto endured the pain with a smile, always with a kind word and friendly greeting whenever one of his friends came into sight. Mitsuko wondered how long it'd be before he snapped.

"Hey, sensei. Why not stop punishing your students and start _training _them. That is, after all, what you're _for_. Or is your job too hard for you?"

Mitsuko's taunting was rewarded with a noncommittal shrug as he pulled out the same book from the day before. A low, offended, growl escaped her throat as she stepped towards him and snatched it easily from his hand. What was it with these things anyway? Her eyes wandered to the page and after a few lines her face flushed a bright crimson.

"Y-you read this stuff…In _public_! _Pervert_!"

He sighed, giving her a very bored look. "Just give me my book back and I won't have to hurt you." His visible eye twitched just slightly.

Mitsuko coughed disbelievingly, and waved the book in front of her. "You mean this? I dunno…It _would _make good fire starter…"

His visible eye widened and he snatched desperately at the book, only to meet empty air. His silver hair whipped back and forth, as he searched for the offending book-snatcher.

"Over _here_!"

Kakashi jerked his head, only to find Mitsuko high up in a tree, perched precariously on a large branch, dangling his book in the air. He frowned, though no one would quite be able to tell beneath the mask, and narrowed his eyes at her. "Just give it back. I told you I _don't _want to hurt you."

"You couldn't even _find _me when I disappeared! What makes you think I'm scared? Tell you what. You beat me in a friendly one on one spar, and I'll give you your book back. If not…Well, I haven't made a fire in a while and I think now's a good time to start practicing…"

He sighed heavily, his shoulder slumping with the motion. "Fine, _fine_. I'll do it. What are the rules?"

Mitsuko flashed him a smug smile before leaping from the tree, lading on her feet a few yards away from him. "Anything goes. Just try not to kill me and I'll offer you the same courtesy. First one to fall down and _stay _down loses. If you give up, you lose. If you are unable to battle, you lose. If you run out of chakra, you lose. Basically, what I said before. Got it?"

He nodded slowly and padded over to the other side of the field, facing off against the girl. Mitsuko grinned and tossed the book to Naruto. "Keep it safe. He might try to take it during the battle."

The blonde haired boy nodded, and saluted dramatically, placing the small orange book next to him. Mitsuko trotted over to the part of the field opposite her opponent, pivoting to face him with a smile.

"On the count of three. One, two, three, GO!"

Automatically, Mitsuko performed the hand seals she had first been taught by Tsubaki. They were so well known, she could do it without thinking. "Water Clone Jutsu," she muttered, a second Mitsuko appearing at her side.

Kakashi did the same, imitating her movements exactly. She wasn't very surprised; it was a moderately easy skill to master. The four opponents stood stock still, staring one another down. Mitsuko glanced at her clone, giving the duplicate some sort of invisible sign.

The seals they performed went by just as fast as the first ones. "Water Style: Water Barrier Wall." A jet of water streamed from their mouths, aiming for the spot the two Kakashi's had been. They impacted with enough force to drive a hole into the ground. But the attacks met empty earth, nothing more. It wasn't until a split-second later that Mitsuko realized this, and ceased her assault.

Her eyes scanned the ground for some sign of her opponent. Seeing none, she dropped into a defensive stance, knowing he would have to attack her sooner or later, of be forced to forfeit.

She waited.

And waited

...And _waited_.

"Where the _hell _is he?" she grouched, dropping out of her stance.

_Big _mistake.

The moment she let her guard down, a leg came flying out of nowhere, catching her in the stomach and knocking her backwards. Mitsuko cursed inwardly as the air was driven out of her lungs, wondering why she hadn't sensed is attack coming, even though he must have gotten close to have been able to hit her so very hard.

Mitsuko carefully picked herself up off the ground, holding her stomach with one arm. Her blue eyes narrowed to slits as they met with empty air. He was gone _again_. She cursed once more, taking a defensive stance.

_This is going to get me nowhere…_

_**Want me to help?**_

_Only if I ask._

_**As you wish.**_

Mitsuko growled, clearly annoyed with waiting for her opponent to show himself.

_Well, if he's gonna be that way, then no more Miss Nice Guy…_

"Water Style: Water Element Wave!"

As she spread her hands wide before her, a wall made entirely of water crashed against the surrounding trees, driving them back and uprooting the little saplings that tried so desperately to cling to life as they were forced out of their home.

_Let's see him get out of _that _one…_

"Too slow…"

Mitsuko leapt backwards, her surprise causing the chakra fueled attack to diminish and disperse in an instant. "Wha…How did…_What_?"

"You don't reach out with all of your senses. You can't simply focus on one thing at one time. You need to learn to look underneath the underneath," Kakashi calmly explained, his face only inches from her own, before catching her in the stomach once again with a heavy fist.

Mitsuko rocketed backwards, landing on the ground with a loud thud. She heaved silently, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of her.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! He's right! I suck!_

_**Shuriken.**_

_What?_

_**Sakura gave them to you yesterday, idiot. Use them.**_

_Uh, all right._

Mitsuko dug into the bag on her hip that Sakura had allowed her to borrow, producing an assortment of the small, _sharp _throwing stars. She grinned happily, carefully and slowly picking herself up off the ground.

Kakashi was watching her suspiciously, knowing full well she wasn't simply going to stay down. The moment she stood firmly on her own two feet, the girl attacked.

Mitsuko's arms were a blur as she launched volley after volley of the lethal shuriken. He easily dodged them, but in the confusion, Mitsuko wedged herself between the falling stars and landed a clean uppercut on her '_sparring_' partner.

He flew back, much the same as she had, but got up far more quickly. "Good, _good_. A nice diversion. _But_-" He was cut off as a large stream of water flew towards him, knocking him backwards a second time. When he sat up, his visible eye widened in apparent confusion.

_She didn't even use hands seals…What the…?_

Mitsuko stood stock still, her face shadowed by her hair. As she lifted her head, Kakashi could clearly see the color of her eyes had shifted to...was that gold?

"What kind of technique is _this_? I've never seen it before."

Mitsuko laughed, though her voice seemed different…Almost hollow. _"This is no technique,"_ she replied wickedly, a small sphere of water forming between her outstretched palms as she shaped and molded it as though it were putty in her hands. _"This is simply _me_."_

The ball of water launched itself at him with the force to bend a tree backwards. He danced by it quickly, almost stopping in shock as it _tore _a piece of his shirt in two. Tore? Water didn't _tear _fabric, not unless you hit it at the right velocity. For her attack to do that, she must have been using an enormous amount of chakra. Chakra to propel the water forward.

Mitsuko's lips quirked upwards in a daring smile, seeming to enjoy his rapid change of emotions and comfort level. From confident and victorious one minute, to confused and shocked the next. Mitsuko was still in control of her body, though Tsubaki had control of the chakra, melding her own into the human's.

"_If this water _hits _you," _she explained. _"It could cleave your skull in two. You can give up. But if you don't, I _won't _go easy on you." _She accentuated her threat by hurling another water sphere his way. He hastily strayed from this one's path, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her oddly strange power.

"Sorry, but it takes more than _that _to get rid of me," he laughed, charging towards her. Mitsuko readied herself, but instead of dropping into a defensive position, she simply encased her body in a shield of water.

Her hands moved up in front of her, shielding her as though they held up the wall of liquid. Kakashi was surprised, and slowed his attack to see what she had done exactly.

"Wha-"

SPLASH!

Mitsuko chuckled as the water came tumbling down on her opponent, leaving him drenched and very cross. As Tsubaki retreated back into her cell and released her control over Mitsuko's chakra, a thin stream of liquid slowly began to encase her right arm.

The water swirled around her appendage, and slowly, ever so slowly, it solidified, solid and heavy at the base, and sharp and spiraling at the top.

"A _sword_!"

_**How brilliant you are, child.**_

Kakashi eyed the newest weapon in Mitsuko's collection of techniques, taking a few cautionary steps back. Mitsuko grinned, slowly advancing with her newfound and weapon. _It's just like a sword_, she mused. _Able to cut through cloth _and _flesh_. _Neat. I never knew you had this kind of power, Tsubaki._

Kakashi dodged her first swipe and easily evaded the second. The third, however, was quick enough to catch him by the front of the shirt. A loud rip was heard before Mitsuko danced back, eyeing him warily. "Gotcha!" she crowed, waving her ice encased arm in the air.

He chuckled. "Perhaps…But you should wait until the fight is over to gloat."

Mitsuko blanched as he began to form hand seals. "Tracking Fang Jutsu!"

She was promptly latched onto by a very large, and very annoying dog. It growled victoriously, dragging her to the ground and effectively pinning her to the hard, uncomfortable earth. Mitsuko snarled, trying to wriggle free from it's grasp, only to feel it's grip tighten, and blood trickle down her leg.

Tsubaki sighed in the back of her head. _**Hn. You know what to do.**_

_Yeah. Right. Just gotta get my hands free…Got it!_

"Water Style: Water Dog Technique!" she yelled, forming the hand seals faster than the canine or it's summoner could blink. In the next moment, Kakashi was pinned down by a rather large, rather liquefied, dog. It barked raucously, a thick gurgling sound issuing form it's throat as it smothered Kakashi's body into the ground.

The two fighters stared at one another for a moment, neither wanting to relent their attack.

Before they could try to dislodge their canine assailants, Sakura stepped between them. "That's _it_. No more. I don't think you guys will be moving any time soon and if we let this go on, _none of us _will get to train."

Kakashi and Mitsuko grudgingly agreed, dropping the Jutsus and standing up to brush themselves off. Of course, Kakashi had a rather hard time of it, as he was encased in mud and drenched with water. Mitsuko headed over towards Naruto, grabbing the book from his hand.

The blonde shinobi looked surprised for a moment, before he trailed her back over to Kakashi, who, by now, looked like a sopping wet, muddy mess. Mitsuko smirked, hearing Naruto cackle behind her, and handed him his book.

He looked up at her, confused, but she simply waved it off. "It was a tie. It'd be unfair for me to take your book after that. All I ask in return is a whole month of 'Don't Hit Naruto.' Do we have a deal?"

Naruto looked respectively confused as Kakashi nodded as he shook Mitsuko's offered hand.

It was going to be a long month...

8888

"That was some fight!"

Mitsuko smiled into her hand, not taking her eyes off the table in front of her. "It was just a spar, Naruto. Not a fight. If it _had _been a fight, one of us would be dead."

"Naw. It was cool, Mitsuko-chan. And that last move…Where'd you learn that?"

Mitsuko smiled down at Naruto, pausing for a moment to wonder how he emptied his ramen bowl so quickly. "A friend taught me. What about you? How come you just let them hit you all the time? Aren't you a ninja? I mean, couldn't you just dodge em'?"

He chuckled nervously, letting his head fall onto his arms. "I could, I guess…I just don't. Dunno why. Maybe it's because I'm just happy _having _friends that'll hit me when I act stupid. Before them, there was no one. Well, except Iruka-sensei…"

Mitsuko nodded in silence, knowing full well what the blonde kitsune boy had gone through. She been relatively labeled as a monster and scheduled to be disposed of, even as a child. Well, according to Tsubaki, that is.

"Mitsuko-chan?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah Naruto?"

"Is something wrong?" the blonde questioned, giving her a confused look. "You looked kind of funny just now. Was it something I said?" She glanced over at him and smiled.

"Che. Nothing's wrong," Mitsuko assured, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Just drifted a bit."

Mitsuko could imagine what Naruto had gone through; she couldn't begin to wrap her head around what it would be like to be in a village full of people and still be so utterly alone. She'd been alone her entire life, always believing that it was simply her lot, and that she'd have to accept it without complaint.

Naruto didn't get a choice.

_I promise,_ she thought_. That no matter what, I'll never let him be alone again. Not if I can help it. I'll protect him…no matter the cost._


	5. When Water Meets Sand

A/N: Revamp! CHA!

* * *

_Chapter 6: When Water Meets Sand_

It had been nearly three days since the spar in the field.

Mitsuko hadn't had a chance to talk to Naruto since. Team Seven had gone on a mission to accompany a bridge builder to the land of waves. Mitsuko was a bit iffy at first on whether or not anyone should really trust Kakashi to protect his students (the man was a walking pile of apathy), but after a crap-load of reassurance from the blonde Jinchuuriki, she reluctantly waived them off at the gate.

And so, here she was.

Sitting in her apartment all alone.

It was pretty boring, but she didn't really mind. She had wanted to go and hang out with Hinata, but the blue haired girl was stuck to her two teammates like glue. And Mitsuko had no desire to see either of them today; Dog-boy still rankled her fur.

She glanced out her window, her lazy blue eyes traveling up and down the street. It was so boring without anyone to talk to.

_**And to think, a few days ago you didn't even want to come here. My how time changes people. Why are you so bored, little one? You were fine on your own. I don't recall you ever being this way when it was just you and I.**_

Mitsuko sighed tiredly, letting her head fall onto her arms. _That's 'cuz I was always training or hunting or…or…I dunno. But I was always doing something. This place has softened me up, I guess. I should go out and train or spar with someone. Eh, but I'm too lazy._

_**True, true.**_

_Your not supposed to agree with me…_

_**You said it, not I.**_

_Che. Whatever._

Mitsuko glanced back out the window, her attention suddenly shifting to three unfamiliar figures heading down the road. Narrowing her eyes, she was able to catch a peek at their forehead protectors, which were, in fact, not on their foreheads.

They weren't from this village.

_Perhaps I should go down and introduce myself, _Mitsuko mused silently while turning towards her closet. _They might have some interesting news from their region._

_**Do you know where they're from?**__Sand, possibly. But I can't be sure._

_**Yes. Do speak with them.**_

_Something up?__**Nothing.**_

Hastily snatching up a jacket and zipping it up over her tank-top, she pulled on her shoes and headed out the door. By the time she reached them, they were halfway down the road. Sensing her presence, the female of the group turned halfway around.

Mitsuko paused, suddenly unsure of whether or not introducing herself to foreigners was a good idea. Or even legal; technically, she wasn't a Konoha ninja, so she wasn't really under any type of protection here. "Yo. I noticed you guys were from the sand. And I was wondering-"

"I suggest you leave now, child, before your life is forfeit."

Mitsuko jumped back, not having even noticed the man beside her. "What the hell? Who are you?"

His eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. "I should be asking you the same thing. You are either very brave or very foolish to try and initiate conversation with my pupils. Run along, little girl. Before you get hurt."

Mitsuko narrowed her eyes right back, glaring with enough force to knock over a school bus. "Che. I don't think so, dude. And for you information, I am _not _a little girl." She pointed to herself. "I'm seventeen, just so ya know. And the only reason I tried to talk to them was to find out if anything worthwhile or even a little bit interesting had been going on in the other villages."

_**Mitsuko…**_

_Hold on a sec._

_**No, you should go now. There's something about that boy…**_

_Which boy?_

_**The red haired one. **_In the back of her mind, Mitsuko could see Tsubaki's hazy golden eyes widen. _**Mitsuko. Leave. NOW.**_

_No way. I wanna know what's so special about that b-_

"Who are you?"

Mitsuko jumped back again, inwardly cursing at her lack of self-awareness. She hadn't even noticed the red haired boy appear in front of her until he spoke. She stepped back, her large blue eyes looking him up and down. Snorting, Mitsuko crossed her arms.

"In the words of your friend here, 'I should be asking you the same question,'" she replied daringly, narrowing her eyes. Behind him, she could see his companions' eyes widen to the size of dinner plates as the began to hurry forwards.

"You are indeed insolent. Die."

_**MITSUKO! RUN!**_

Mitsuko did a hasty back flip, thinking he would lash out with his arms or legs. But she wasn't prepared for the attack that followed. "What the f-!" She yelped as her legs were instantly incased in sand.

She looked up, meeting the cold gaze of the boy in front of her. "Are you afraid?" he asked softly, his voice matching the look he bore.

Mitsuko growled, shaking her head. "Feh. In your dreams, asshole."

The red haired boy's eyes widened a fraction as the blue of Mitsuko's eyes faded and bled into a dull gold. Her lips stretched thinly, baring her suddenly too sharp incisors in a blatantly taunting smirk. She lifted a hand, her sharp gaze observing the claws that now sprouted from her fingertips. A viscous layer of water began to form around her legs, slowly prying the sand from her body.

"What…are you?" the boy asked, his voice betraying no emotion whatsoever.

"_Why? 'Are you afraid?'" _she shot back, using the words he had spoken only a moment before. He shook his head, a small smirk forming on his face.

"No. I wish to…Fight you. In a real battle." He glanced at the man who had first spoken to Mitsuko, giving him a hard stare. "But not now." The sand immediately retracted back into the gourd strapped to his back. Mitsuko watched in interest, her golden eyes slowly fading back to blue.

"Whatever. I don't give a good-golly damn. So, whenever you're ready to die, come find me. I'll gladly fight you." She smiled darkly, turning to go.

"Don't worry," the boy replied, his face an emotionless mask. "Death isn't on my agenda…Well , not my own at least."

Mitsuko glanced over her shoulder. "By the way, my name's Mitsuko. What do they call you, Red?"

"Gaara…Gaara of the sand."

* * *

Mitsuko's sudden downshift in moods had not gone unnoticed.

Hinata had come to visit her, wondering why she was never out and about anymore. Of course, the blue haired kunoichi also learned that Naruto and his team were delayed on their mission, and wouldn't be coming back for another day. So, in the meantime, she did her best to get Mitsuko to leave the house.

"Come one, Mitsuko-san. You shouldn't mope around. It's not good for you."

Mitsuko waved a hand lazily as she continued to ignore her younger friend. "Who's moping? I'm just," she heaved a rather large sigh. "So _bored_…"

Hinata placed her hands on her hips, giving her an incredulous stare. "Right, right. You're just lazy, that's all. Come on. Let's, uh…Shop? How bout' we go shopping? I'm sure you could use some new clothes."

Mitsuko chuckled softly, raising her head from where it rested on her arms. "Trying to tell me something, Hinata-chan?" she asked slyly, eyeing her wardrobe.

Hinata blushed, shaking her head. "N-no. I just thought that…Maybe you'd-"

"Now there's the Hinata I know and love. For a second there, I thought you'd grown a backbone. But meh. I think your right, anyway. I could use some new clothes. The ones I have might be a bit…Small for me. Sakura is like a stick, and all these red tank tops are starting to really sour my mood." She rolled off her bed and stood, her hair sticking out at odd angles.

"I'll just throw on a sweater and we'll head over to the store. You'll have to show me where it is since I'm directionally challenged." Hinata giggled softly as Mitsuko grabbed a sweater from her closet and slipped it on, patting down her hair with her hands. "All ready. Let's go."

* * *

"This is, uh, cute."

Mitsuko held up a long black polka dotted dress, cringing at the sight of it. "Never mind." She placed it back on the rack next to the other distasteful clothes.

Hinata had already purchased what she wanted, which turned out to be little more than a new shirt and some pants. Mitsuko, however, was a bit harder to buy for. She'd never been 'clothes shopping' before, a fact that had Hinata hiding a gasp of dismay and swooning on the spot; every real woman had gone 'clothes shopping' at least once in their lives.

"It's not like you can buy a lot of clothes in the middle of nowhere," Mitsuko had replied simply to Hinata's incredulous gaze. She'd felt the need to defend her femininity; she liked shopping, she'd just never really done it before.

Mitsuko grabbed a pair of black sweatpants and a small, black tank top, holding them up to her body and looking down at them with a critical eye. She turned to her blue-haired friend and pointed to the clothes. "What do you think?"

Hinata smiled, nodding her head in emphasis. "They are perfect for you, Mitsuko-chan; very color-less and depressing. They'll make you look evil." She giggled comically at the bland stare Mitsuko shot her. "I think you should get them. Besides…" She glanced down at her feet, giving Mitsuko a weary look. "I don't think I can shop much longer." Mitsuko chuckled and nodded, heading over to the register to buy the clothes.

The lady cast her a strange look before ringing up her purchase and taking the money in Mitsuko's hand. The young demon-vessel scowled before grabbing the bag out of the cashier's hands and heading out the door with Hinata in tow.

"Che…Let's head back real quick. I want to wear my new clothes. Then we can go get something to eat, okay?" Hinata nodded as they hurried back to Mitsuko's apartment.

* * *

"Ramen…It…Smells sorta…Weird…I don't think I'll ever be used to it."

The man behind the counter scowled briefly before turning to assist the next customer. Hinata laughed lightly before digging into her own. "It may smell weird, Mitsuko-chan, but it tastes good."

Mitsuko wrinkled her nose for a moment before turning to glance out the door. It had started raining halfway to the ramen shop, forcing the two girls to run all the way there. Mitsuko was very cross, having just put on her new clothes, only to get them soaked moments later.

"I sure do miss Naruto."

Hinata looked over at the older girl, a surprised expression alighting her face. "Y-you do? Do you…" she hesitated, her eyes downcast as she wrung her hands nervously. "Like him?"

Mitsuko was surprised by this question and turned to face the white-eyed girl. "As a friend, yeah. He's like, thirteen. Why? Do you?" She smiled wryly, knowing the question would send the girl into one of her stuttering fits.

"W-well, I-I guess s-so. M-maybe?"

Mitsuko raised a brow as the girl turned her attention back to her ramen, now studying it intently. "Maybe, huh? Okay. I can live with that."

She sighed once before glancing back at her food, eyeing it warily.

"Raaaaammmeeeennnn!"

Mitsuko was promptly bowled over and off of her chair onto the floor as a small, orange blur collided with her. She looked down, more surprised than anything, to meet two large, blue eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you, Naruto. But, um, I'm not ramen."

* * *

"So, you guys had to fight a _real _ninja? Is that what your saying?"

"Whadya mean, 'real ninja?' We're 'real ninjas' too ya know."

The blonde boy crossed his arms over his chest, giving Mitsuko a scathing look. She held her hands up in surrender.

"All right, all right. So you 'real ninjas' had to fight other, more powerful 'real ninjas?'" she asked, rephrasing her question.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. But they were no match for me and my awesome skills." He raised his fist into the air, practically jumping up and down in his seat. "They ran away with their tails between their legs. Meh, Sasuke-bastard and Kakashi-sensei helped a little too," he confessed, giving Mitsuko a slightly sheepish look.

She ruffled his hair affectionately, scooting her bowl towards him. "Well, then you deserve this. My treat. And try not to call Sasuke names. Sheesh, kids today." Naruto completely ignored her last remark as he buried his face in the ramen. Mitsuko wrinkled her nose in disgust as she fended off random pieces of noodles flying in her and Hinata's direction.

Speaking of Hinata…

Mitsuko glanced over her shoulder at the now oddly silent kunoichi. She poked her in the side, earning a strange snorting noise from her quiet friend. "What was that?" she asked, a smile dancing across her face.

"You poked me! I laughed," Hinata nearly cried defensively.

Mitsuko looked skeptical. "That was a laugh? You sure?"

Hinata scowled, crossing her arms and sliding off her seat. "Pff. Sorry to head out on you Mitsuko, but I've got _chores _to do." She glanced shyly at the blonde Jinchuuriki before waving to both. "Bye Mitsuko-cha, bye N-Naruto-kun!"

Mitsuko waved good bye as her young friend disappeared from sight. She turned back to Naruto. "Hey…Have you ever heard of anyone named Gaara?"

He looked up from his bowl, scratching his head in thought. "Eh…No, I don't think so. Why? Ya know him?"

Mitsuko sighed dejectedly. "We've met," she muttered, letting her head rest in her hand.

"Something wrong? He couldn't have been that bad, could he?"

Mitsuko laughed dryly, chancing a glance out of the corner of her eyes. "Bad? Try emotionless. Che, he's a complete jackass. Him and his damn sand. Getting all over my feet. And…There's something else…But let's not talk about that now. It's depressing."

She slid off her stool, grabbing her black jacket and slipping it over her black tank top. "Let's go for a walk. You can tell me all about your mission."

* * *

As the two walked down the road side by side, they were accosted by Konohamaru, Naruto's young friend.

Of course, he wasn't alone either.

A man dressed in black was holding him up by the scruff of his neck, glaring down at him. "Watch where you're going, midget!" he growled at the boy, lifting him higher into the air.

Before Naruto could say a word, Mitsuko stepped forward, a look of recognition flashing across her face. "I know you. You were with that boy yesterday." Her gaze drifted to Konohamaru, worry flashing through her eyes. "I'd put him down if I were you."

The man gave her an incredulous look. "And what if I don't, little girl?"

Mitsuko nearly laughed. "Were you even home mentally yesterday? Is your brain broke? I ain't scared of your jackass friend, and I ain't scared of you. Put him down before your life is forfeit. Besides, it's rude to kill an allied village's kids."

The man scowled, his face twisting up in rage. "You sure have an insolent tongue for someone so small." He dropped Konohamaru, who instantly ran behind Mitsuko and Naruto.

The blonde boy stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Back off, ya loser! Me an' Mitsuko could beat ya without breakin' a sweat!" He tried to rush forward, but was held back by Mitsuko, who had a firm hold on the back of his collar.

"I'd save my energy, if I were you."

The man, Konohamaru, Mitsuko and Naruto all turned to face the direction the voice had come from. Sasuke was leaning against a tree, looking as bored and haughty as ever.

The man in black growled, his face scrunching up even more as he reached behind his back. "I hate show offs more than stupid little girls."

"Stop this stupidity now or I'll kill you."

Everyone's eyes shifted behind the man in black to see two figures approaching. Mitsuko recognized them as the other two from yesterday. The boy, Gaara, approached first, an undeterminable expression on his face.

"I told you, Kankuro, that I was the one who was going to kill her." He glanced at Mitsuko briefly, then reverted his attention back to the two beside him. "Temari, Kankuro. We're leaving."

He walked past Mitsuko and Naruto, shooting both Sasuke and her a strange look. Mitsuko shuddered as they disappeared from sight and Sasuke came over to join them.

"Who was that?" he questioned, his dark eyes never leaving the path.

"Gaara," Mitsuko replied simply. Naruto gave her a curious look. "He was that guy you were talking about earlier, wasn't he? Creepy, but he doesn't seem all that tough…"

Mitsuko shrugged. "Looks can be deceiving."


	6. You And I Collide

A/N: I don't own Naruto. Hope I said that before. This is a revamp!

* * *

_Chapter 6: You And I Collide_

"Chuunin exams?" Mitsuko leaned back in her chair, giving Naruto a curious look. "What're those?"

"Eh, they're exams to become…Chuunin. I thought it'd be pretty self-explanatory…" His eye twitched, wondering how she could be so clueless. "You've lived here for , what, five weeks? You shoulda at least learned _something _by now…"

"Hey. I learned something!" Mitsuko protested, tipping backwards in her chair once more.

Naruto raised his eyebrow. "Like what?"

The girl sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Erm…Gaara is creepy?"

Naruto practically fell over. "That's just a fact; you don';t need to learn it 'cuz it's true…You're kinda an idiot."

Her chair tipped back and toppled to the floor, but Mitsuko wasn't in it. She bounced over to her window, looking out of it.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down in a rather frightening imitation of Naruto. "Look! It's the creepy guy. Let's go talk to him." She hastily threw on her sweater and grabbed Naruto's hand, and promptly proceeded to try and drag him out the door.

"What? No! Don't you remember what he said the other day." He steeled his face, making it almost an exact replica of the maroon haired boy. "'She is mine to kill.' Doesn't that creep you out, Mitsuko?"

Mitsuko placed a finger on her chin, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Che, yeah, sorta. I've seen creepier, though. 'Sides, if I let him scare me off, what kind of person am I, hm? Eh, all he can really do is control dirt. How bad can he be?"

"Bad," the blonde boy muttered dejectedly as he was hauled out of the house and down onto the sidewalk. The maroon haired boy stopped when he saw them, his face just as expressionless as ever. Mitsuko waved cheerily, bouncing towards him with Naruto in tow.

"Long time no see, Red," she called, coming to a stop a few feet away. He merely stared at her, not even so much as a twitch on his face. Mitsuko sweat dropped, her wave falling in mid-air. "Well, aren't you the perfect little ball of sunshine. Don't get so happy to see me. Geez, calm down," she ground out sarcastically.

Stare.

"Are you gonna say anything?"

Stare…

"Well, this is fun. I come all the way here just to see you (Naruto: Your house is right behind us, baka!) and all you do is stare. Rude."

Stare…

"Che. Well, you and your dirt can just…I dunno. Go…Uh…Erm...Eh...Gah! I got nothin'."

Stare…Twitch.

"It's sand."

"Wazzat?" Mitsuko looked dumbfounded as the boy spoke to her, although his gaze was directed elsewhere. "Sand?"

"Hn. Sand. I suggest you pay closer attention next time. "Hn. Sand. I suggest you pay closer attention next time. I don't have time to deal with your stupidity. Leave, before I kill you." His eye twitched again, prompting a grin from Mitsuko.

"Meh," she waved him off. "You wouldn't even try."

Naruto looked at the ground, noticing the sand swirling about their feet. "Mitsuko…" he tapped her shoulder, but was studiously ignored.

Gaara raised a brow, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I wouldn't? Are you sure?"

Mitsuko nodded, a smirk curling over her lips. "Meh. You won't."

"Uh, Mitsuko….I think-"

The older girl poked Naruto in the side, hushing him. "Not now. I…What?" Her blue eyes grew even wider as she noticed the sand swirling about her feet. She jumped backwards, dragging the blonde boy with her. "Clever…Crafty. You're a sadistic bastard. You actually _would _have killed us, wouldn't you?"

He nodded, his lips set in a thin line. "Fight me."

Mitsuko blanched, caught off guard by the statement. "What?" There was no expression on his face to indicate he was joking (not that she thought he _could _joke). Maybe he was playing some sick game with her head.

"You heard me."

The older girl shrugged, having nothing better to do. "All right. I guess if that's what you want. But…" She disappeared from sight, appearing a second later in the tree near the sidewalk. "Let's take this somewhere where no one else will get hurt. Naruto, you come too. I might need saving from this psychopath." She grinned wryly at the maroon haired boy before disappearing once more.

Gaara turned to Naruto, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Your friend is foolish. She has just sealed her fate."

* * *

Mitsuko sat on the rock rubbing her temples as she waited for the other two to show up. Gaara arrived first, looking as empty as ever, and was followed closely by Naruto, who was keeping a fair distance from the Sand Ninja.

She sighed heavily, pushing herself up and carefully jumping down. "Naruto, what took you so long?" she demanded, not sparing the red-haired boy a glance.

"Er, sorry, Mitsuko. I was…Hungry, so I-"

"-Went for ramen. Figures." She turned back to Gaara, her eyes narrowing. "You took your sweet time too, didn't you, Red? Ah, well. Let's get started, shall we?"

Before she could react, the sand, which she hadn't noticed inching towards her, began to snake it's way around her legs. She jumped up, only to be dragged down again by the sand. Cursing, she quickly performed a flurry of hand seals before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Gaara glanced around, his eyes coming to rest on the spot she _should _have been in, but saw nothing but a log.

A replacement technique.

"Suna Shuriken," he called tonelessly, three small spheres appearing out of nowhere and flying towards a tree to his left.

There was a clunk and a gasp before Mitsuko appeared at the trunk, a shuriken lodged in her right arm. "Gah!…I thought it was just a ball of sand. Tricky little bastard. Guess I can't take you lightly anymore, hm?"

Gaara smirked. "You shouldn't have taken me lightly to begin with. Desert…Coffin."

Mitsuko was caught off guard as the sand rushed up behind her. She retreated to the safety of the tree, only to be startled out of it when the sand followed her like a snake. She jumped to the next branch, only to have to bound onto the second after the sand destroyed the first.

_It's fast,_ she thought angrily, dodging another blow and landing on the ground.

_**For this fight, my strength and power will be required. I will lend them to you, child. Even though you have been ignoring me.**_

_Tsubaki…This is no time for a hissy fit. Merge your power with mine and be done with it. I want full control over my body. No interference.__**As you wish.**_

Mitsuko was rewarded with the familiar tingling sensation flowing through her body as Tsubaki's power wound it's way through her chakra and melded together. Flexing her hands, she leapt from the tree, flashing into existence in front of the sand-ninja below. Gaara looked only faintly surprised, his eyes widening, before his sand rushed to meet her, swirling around him like a living entity.

Her hands flew through the seals before she released her attack. "Water style; Water Barrier Wall," she muttered.

Before he could react, a large stream of water flew towards him and slammed into it's target, sending Gaara flying backwards. Mitsuko danced away, surveying her handiwork with a wry smile. "What's the matter? All washed up?"

Naruto groaned in the background, slapping a hand to his forehead as he shook it. "Lame..."

Mitsuko could vaguely see a figure rising out of the muck and mire the water and sand had created together. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a clearer view, and gaped.

"Just friggin' perfect," she muttered. Chunks of what appeared to be some sort of armor were dropping off of his body; it didn't take a genius to figure out what the armor was made of. "He had a friggin' sand shield all over his body. Cheater. Che, time to get serious." She could make-out a few lazy chuckles coming from the muck and dust that had been stirred up by her attack.

"It's useless. No one has ever beaten me, and no one ever will...Die." The sand flew towards her at an incredible pace, whirling through the air with a loud, hissing sound like a snake about to strike. Mitsuko put her arms up in defense, gritting her back teeth and waiting for the impact.

But the blow never came.

"Enough."

Both combatants turned to face the silver haired Jounin who stood between them. Kakashi had dispelled the sand with a swipe of his arm and Mitsuko groaned inwardly. She didn't like the look on the visible part of his face; he was pissed.

Gaara's eyes twitched a fraction of an inch, his glare intensifying. "We're not done here."

"Oh, yes you are," Kakashi growled, heading towards Mitsuko. She took an involuntary step back, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his wrath. He stopped short, turning to face Gaara. "Go back to your teammates. And if this happens again, you will be disqualified form the exams."

Gaara growled, and disappeared without a parting words, casting only a cold glare in Mitsuko's direction.

Aforementioned girl took a couple steps back, inching towards Naruto as he headed their way. "Eh, hehehe…am I in trouble?" she questioned, as she tried to shrink behind Naruto.

Kakashi turned to look at her. "You have no idea."

* * *

It had been a few days since the fight between Gaara and Mitsuko.

Mitsuko had gotten a rather stern talking to from Kakashi (read: she got her ass beat into the ground in another 'sparring' match), but as usual, she ignored it. Not like he could ever really be serious. Well, except when he was fighting, but that's beside the point.

So, Naruto and his team, along with the other Genins from Konoha and the other neighboring villages entered the Chuunin exams. And, once again, Mitsuko was left alone to contemplate the meaning of…Sidewalk.

Yes, sidewalk.

What?

Did I ever give you any thing to make you believe she was normal?

No.

Okay, moving on.

It had been a few days since the start of the second exam, and Mitsuko assumed it would be over fairly quickly. Of course, she was right, but only after confirming this fact for herself.

She had wandered around the village looking for Kakashi. When she found him, he was reluctant to answer her questions, but in the end, he finally gave in. It left Kakashi thinking that her pout was as great a weapon as any Jutsu, and should be forbidden. Well, that, and she had a mean right hook.

"Geez, Mitsuko. You didn't have to hit me that hard. There's gonna be a bruise there, I just know it."

Mitsuko rolled her eyes, smacking him upside the head and earning another loud whine. "Baby…You're a ninja! Suck it up!" The silver haired man beside her pouted behind his mask, crossing his arms stubbornly. Mitsuko sighed. "Man…The things I have to go through…"

_**He is amusing, you have to admit. **_Tsubaki found everyone amusing.

_If you count the fact that he acts like a ten year old, then yes. He's amusing. _Mitsuko countered dryly.

"Anyways, when do you think they'll be done?"

Kakashi looked over at her, shrugging as though he wasn't sure. "I don't really know. Actually…They should be finishing the second exam right abut now." He glanced up at the sky and in a puff of smoke, he disappeared. Mitsuko stared dumbly at the spot he was just standing in.

"What the- Get back here, asshole!"

* * *

Mitsuko waited nervously outside of the building, it's large oak doors leering down at her. She huffed, crossing her arms and sitting on a bench and lounging haphazardly across it. When the doors creaked open, however, she lifted her head to see a grey-haired young man exiting, his eyes shadowed by the glare from his glasses.

Not one to miss an opportunity when it popped out of nowhere, Mitsuko practically pounced on him. "Hey, _you_! You were in there with the other teams, yeah? Who's still there? Can you tell me?" The man looked briefly bewildered, obviously surprised to be accosted by someone he'd never spoken to, before smiling quietly.

"Naruto's team is still in there, if that's what your worried about," he told her calmly.

Mitsuko blanched. "How'd you know that's who I was worried about?"

Adjusting his glasses, he began walking again. "I know more about you than you think, Kimiko Mitsuko."

Mitsuko shivered, frowning after the retreating figure. He was _way _creepy…And how did he know anything about her at all? She'd never met him before. And she didn't even know his name.

She filed that information, along with his face, away for later, and turned back to the doors. "Come on," she grumbled, flopping back onto the bench with a groan. "Hurry it up in there."

Two hours passed before Mitsuko felt someone shaking her roughly from her sleep.

"Mitsuko! Mitsuko!"

Mitsuko quickly wiped away the drool that had dribbled down her chin, blinking her eyes open blearily, only to be met by a familiar whiskered face. "Eh…Naruto? What's up?" She stood up, brushing off her clothes. "Sorry, I sorta fell asleep."

The blonde beamed grabbing her in a rib shattering hug. "I won! I made it to the finals!"

Mitsuko, to say the least, was surprised. She had been worried that Naruto would never make it to the finals; he wasn't all that good at being a ninja, despite his strength and massive amount of chakra. Apparently though, her worry had been unfounded. She patted the Kyuubi vessel on the shoulder.

"I'm proud of you. You did better than I hoped."

Her attention, however, was diverted to the next three people leaving the building. She tilted her head to the side, watching them in silence. Naruto quieted too when he saw them, his eyes were somber.

The Sand Siblings.

"That guy…Gaara. He messed Bushy-Brows up good…" Mitsuko gave Naruto a confused look when he said this.

"Bush-Brows?" she questioned, glancing around for someone who might fit that description. "I hope that's not his name. 'Cuz if it is, his parents must _hate _him."

Naruto nodded. "His name's Rock Lee. You don't know him. His team is a year older than ours. He's a ninja too, but he can only use taijutsu."

Mitsuko nodded solemnly, still watching the red-haired sand shinobi. "I'm supposing Gaara won then?"

Nod.

"Interesting…"

* * *

Mitsuko leaned against the railing, her hair bound in a tight braid over her shoulder. It was fairly windy and she was in no mood to deal with it whipping around her face. She had been lost in thought ever since she met Naruto outside the building, and this place, although fairly isolated, was the best place to do get some alone time.

She was overlooking a small river, leaning against the guard rail that prevented anyone from falling in. The sun was preparing to set and the night was quickly closing in. Mitsuko sighed gently, resting her head on her folded arms.

Her eyes drifted shut, but she was well aware of a presence behind her. "What do you want?"

The red haired boy gave no indication of surprise, but merely moved forward to join her against the railing. He said nothing, his face as empty as always, and hardly spared her more than a glance. Mitsuko looked up, watching him quietly. "I asked you a question."

He raised an eyebrow, or lack thereof, and narrowed his eyes, staring straight ahead.

"Nothing. Just enjoying the view."

"Aren't you tired?" the black haired girl asked, returning to gazing at the river. "I mean, after fighting that taijutsu guy, you should be wiped. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I don't sleep," he deadpanned.

Mitsuko glanced at him, sitting up and unfolding her arms. "It's because of the demon, isn't it?"

For the first time since she had met him, he showed something akin to emotion. His eyes widened marginally, but he did nothing more than nod. "Yes. How do you know about that?"

"I know all," she replied mysteriously, smirking widely. "Che, I guess that really _isn't _mascara around your eyes?"

He glared at her, a small growl escaping his throat. "No," he grunted before pausing. "Why do you enjoy antagonizing me? Most people would be running for their lives…Or dead. Yet, I _can't _kill you." He turned to her, his eyes narrowing even further as he grabbed the front of her shirt, lifting her from her position on the rail. "Why can't I kill you?"

Mitsuko smiled gently and reached up to pry his hand from her shirt. "Maybe you don't really want to? You and I are a lot alike. Betcha don't got many friends, do you? Me neither. At least, not 'til I came here. It never bothered me, being alone. I just didn't care." She peered at him closely, squinting her eyes as though she was trying to see straight through him. "But you care…_Don't _you?"

He turned away, not meeting her gaze. There was no emotion in his voice as he spoke; she didn't anticipate getting any real rise out of him, but she'd been hoping to see some small spark of humanity at least. "No. I never have and never will. You and I are nothing alike and never will be. You have no idea what suffering is." He glanced back at her. "But the next time we fight, you _will_."

Mitsuko laughed softly, her eyes challenging as she resumed her position against the rail. "I have been warned, I suppose."

"No," he growled, before walking away. "You have been _promised_."

* * *

Mitsuko hadn't thought too much about her meeting with the Sand boy. Things like that never truly had much of an effect on her thoughts. It was just another trivial conversation in the life of the young demon vessel. She had been threatened before, and it hadn't had the same effect on her as his promise.

Nothing.

It wasn't long before the final matches were scheduled to begin, and because of this, Mitsuko was, more often than not, alone. Naruto was off training with Jiraiya, Sakura was in a funk, and Sasuke was off who knows where doing who knows what. So, this left Mitsuko with absolutely no one to talk to.

She didn't mind it all that much. Being alone had been a major part of her life and as she had said to Gaara, this had never bothered her. Even though she didn't care about having friends, she did enjoy the feeling of _actually _having them. But being alone…That was more of a choice, than anything else. There were a few more people she could seek out, but chose not to.

Naruto would visit from time to time, as would Sakura and Hinata, but it wasn't long and it wasn't anything special.

Mitsuko sighed as she plopped down into her chair.

Her black hair, which had grown considerably longer since her arrival, fanned out over the back of it, just shy of reaching the floor. She crossed her arms, staring at the ceiling. It was boring. Oh, so very boring. Nothing to do, no one to talk to, and more importantly, nothing to do.

_Wait, I said that already._

She nodded resolutely, happy with her conclusions. Perhaps she should venture out for a swim or something. Water always did help her relax.

_**But every time you leave, you run into that red-haired child. Don't you think it an odd coincidence, pup?**_

Mitsuko thought for a moment. _You know, I think you're right. He's probably stalking me. He's got that whole 'I'm-a-creepy-psychopathic-killer-and-I'll-kill-you-when-I-get-you-alone,' thing going for him. So it is plausible._

Tsubaki chuckled. _**Indeed. But perhaps he won't venture too near the water. His powers are dampened considerably by the element opposite his own. And besides, **_she yawned. _**A swim sounds nice.**_

Mitsuko smiled and nodded. Rising from her chair, she pinned her hair up into a bun, securing it tightly so no loose strands would get out. Heading over to her closet, she pulled out a black tank and a pair of orange shorts she's swiped from Naruto a few weeks prior. _This should do it, _she thought mildly. _And deter any perverts that might be lurking about. Like Jiraiya. If I catch him peeping, I'm gonna send him into orbit._

Cackling evilly, she slipped into her newly appointed bathing suit and pulled on some sandals. She grabbed a towel and slung it over her shoulder, heading out the door and whistling a merry tune.

_**That was fast.**_

_Yeah, well…Whatever. I can't think of anything._

_**Your stupidity never ceases to amuse me.**_

_Shut up, or I'm buying a cat._

_**Che**_.

As Mitsuko wound her way down the path that led to the river, she caught a glimpse of something in the shadows of the trees. Perfectly predictable. Rolling her eyes upwards, she identified her stalker quickly, but went about her business. She wasn't going to let him deter her from her daily life, heck no.

_That didn't take long. What happened to the 'He'll stay away from the water,' theory?_

_**Perhaps I was mistaken.**_

_Oh, yes. Perhaps. I don't know why I listen to you._

As she neared the river, she pulled off her sandals and placed the towel neatly on the ground. Taking one last look over her shoulder, she dove in, resurfacing a few seconds later to suck in a deep breath. She blinked once, shaking the water from her eyes, and noticed a figure standing on the bank, watching her.

Sighing, she kicked her legs to tread water and moved a little closer to the shore, keeping her distance. She plucked a few stray strands of hair from her dripping face.

"What in the world do you want? And why are you stalking me?"

The stranger blinked, folding his arms across his chest. Sea-green eyes stared into ocean blue before he redirected his gaze elsewhere. "I'm not stalking you. It's just coincidence."

Mitsuko snorted, but couldn't cross her arms for fear of slipping lower into the water. "Yeah. Coincidence. We're always in the same place, at the same time, on the same day. You call it coincidence, I call it stalking." She shrugged. "But to each his own, eh?"

The red-headed male sniffed disinterestedly, before sinking down to sit in the soft sand of the shore. Mitsuko blinked, watching him arrange his body into a comfortable position.

"What are you doing?"

Gaara's gaze snapped upwards, locking onto her own. "Sitting," he replied in a dead-pan voice.

Mitsuko scowled. "Yes, I know. But why are you sitting _there_?"

"Because…I want to."

"No, you just want to annoy me. What do you want?"

"To rule the world."

Mitsuko blinked a few times and rubbed her ear. "Did I just hear you correctly?"

He looked away quickly, eyes narrowing. "I'm kidding."

"You kid?"

"No."

"That's probably a good thing…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing…So anyways, is there something you need to talk to me about?"

Gaara blinked, but said nothing, mouth remaining obstinately shut. Mitsuko sighed. "Whatever then." She took a deep breath, and dove beneath the water once more, paddling about in the darkness. When she resurfaced, she found the demon boy staring at her. "What?"

"How do you do that?"

"What?"

"Swim."

Mitsuko sweat dropped. "Swim? Are you kidding?" He shook his head. "Uh, well, I kick my feet, for starters." She kicked one leg up, making a small splash. "And I use my arms to keep me up, as well. Why did you ask that, anyways? Can't you swim?"

He shook his head, staring at the water with mild interest.

"Want to learn?"

At her question, his eyes widened slightly and he looked at her. "No," he replied harshly as he averted his gaze.

Mitsuko chuckled lightly, before swimming over to the shore. "Suit yourself." She exited the water, her clothes dripping. Peeling a few stray strands of clingy hair from her neck and face, she quickly redid her bun and bent down to grab her towel and wrap it around her waist. Glancing over at Gaara, she noticed her was staring at her.

"Ugh. Geeze. What?" She tightened her towel, a small blush rising up onto her cheeks despite her scowl. He continued to stare, un-answering and unwavering. "_What_?" she repeated, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. He shrugged, and stood up as well.

"Nothing. Just thought I saw something interesting."

_WHAT!_

Tsubaki laughed out loud, earning a growl from Mitsuko. _**He's a strange one, I'll give him that.**_

_That bastard! Where does he get off thinking he can say something like that to me!_

Mitsuko rounded on him as he brushed off his pants. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer. "What the _hell _is your problem? You little pervert!" she growled, eyes boring into his.

He merely smirked, eyes on level with her own. Although she was a few years older, she was about the same height as he was. "What? Is there something wrong?" he asked coolly, voice still devoid of emotion.

Mitsuko floundered, searching for the right words. "Well…I, uh…It's just that…Argh! You're so damn frustrating!" She snarled and released his wrist to head back up the path. As she began her descent, a hand wrapped itself around her lower arm, hauling her backwards.

"What the-!"

She was cut off when a pair of lips crashed down onto her own with bruising force, unskilled and somewhat unsure as they moved across her own. Completely confused and caught off guard, Mitsuko could do nothing but stand there, her eyes wide. Then, as quickly as it had happened, it was over and she was left standing there, her face blank and mind a whirl of emotion. Blinking, she looked up into the green eyes of Gaara. He smirked.

"I'll see you at the finals." And then, in a swirling cloud of sand, he was gone.

Mitsuko stood there in a daze for several more minutes.

_Did he just…?_

_**I believe he did. That was rather bold.**_

_Holy shit! That was the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me!_

_**I agree.**_

"You little pervert!" she screamed at the empty air, brandishing a fist. "You're only fucking thirteen! Respect your elders!"

But even as she screamed, she touched a finger to her lips, her mind whirring. _I wonder where he learned how to do that? _she thought numbly, as she turned to head back up the path. _It was so…Different. Ah well, best not to dwell on something that will never happen again._ She nodded to herself and shrugged, heading towards her home.

It was time to get ready for the final matches.


	7. The Attack Begins

A/N: Revamp. I don't own Naruto. Now we get into the attack! CHA!

* * *

_Chapter 7: The Attack Begins_

Mitsuko trotted down the stairs and to her seat.

She pulled her thin sweater tighter about her body as a small wind blew through the top of the stadium and wished she'd thought to bring a jacket or something. Sakura sat just in front of her, not seeming to mind the cold. The pink-haired kunoichi's eyes were clouded over in thought, as if she was troubled by something. Mitsuko frowned and reached over to place a hand on her shoulder. Sakura jumped and whirled around in her seat. Mitsuko gave a low chuckle.

"Easy. It's just me. What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Sakura shook her head, turning back around. She folded her hands in her lap. "No, not really. I'm just…Worried, is all." She fiddled with the hem of her red dress, eyes downcast and faraway. Mitsuko frowned.

"About Sasuke, right?"

Sakura turned back around and looked up. She bit her lip, as if debating on whether or not to confide in this demon girl. She heaved a sigh. "Yeah. I'm just not sure if he can…Er, beat his opponent. That sand kid looks tough." She smiled bravely, and turned back around.

Mitsuko crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. What a horrible liar…Her blue eyes darted about the stadium. "ANBU…?" she muttered, counting nearly eight of so of the elite ninja. How strange.

_**Perhaps they fear something is about to happen. At least you didn't call them the AN-who this time. **_

Sakura glanced over her shoulder. "What was that?" she asked, looking on curiously. Mitsuko turned back around, her eyes having landed on an ANBU in a brown coat, covered from head to toe. His mask swiveled towards her as if he sensed her gaze, and Mitsuko quickly looked away.

"Nothing. Just wondering why it's so cold up here."

Sakura shrugged. "It's because we're up higher than normal. The wind is a lot worse up here, especially since it's channeled through all the halls and such." Mitsuko nodded, as if she hadn't already known.

Her eyes scanned the fields below, waiting for someone or something to happen.

Where was Naruto? There was no way he could possibly be late for his match…Right? Mitsuko sighed and shook her head. Who was she kidding? At least he wasn't Kakashi; if it was Kakashi they were waiting for, they'd not only be a few hours later, but also be treated to a rather amusing story about 'saving a cat from a tree on the road of life.'

Shifting uncomfortably, she trained her focus back on the grounds below.

_I wonder…_

_**What is it, kit?**_

_Do you think…This has anything to do with Sand?_

_**Maybe. They seem….Suspicious. I would not trust them as far as I could throw them.**_Mitsuko snorted. _Considering it's you, you could throw them _pretty _far._

A disgruntled grunt was all she received in reply. Looking back onto the designated fighting area beneath them, she caught a brief glimpse of an orange blur streaking into the stadium. Her face lit up as she recognized that orange blur. It seemed Naruto was not about to miss his match for anything in the world.

Although she was worried at first, as the fight progressed, it seemed Naruto was gaining an upper hand. She couldn't hear what he was saying to his opponent, a long hair boy with pale blue eyes and some type of Bloodline limit, but whatever it was seemed to have literally and figuratively thrown him off balance. A small gasp escaped Mitsuko's lips as Naruto called upon the chakra of the Kyuubi. "That is some powerful chakra, to be able to see it," she murmured softly. Sakura glanced over her shoulder, nodding briefly, before turning back to watch the match. With the Kyuubi's enhanced power, it didn't take Naruto long to take out his opponent.

Smiling to herself and very proud of her little friend, Mitsuko didn't quite notice the two presences that sidled up beside her. Looking over her shoulder, she was slightly startled to see a man in a green spandex suit, followed by a boy who looked a little worse for wear.

Holding back a giggle at the sight of the oddly attired man, she allowed her gaze to stray to the boy once more. It looked as though his limbs had been broken, or _something_. He sported a cast on both his left arm and right foot. Was this…Bushy-Brows?

The two glanced at her, almost simultaneously. As the man let his gaze slide over to her form, he seemed to smile and she could have sworn she heard his teeth 'ping.' "Ah, fair lady! I do not believe we have ever met! I am Maito Gai, Konoha's Beautiful Blue Beast! May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Mitsuko blinked back her surprise, staring a little wide-eyed at the spandex man in front of her. "Er, Mitsuko…" she mumbled, after an agonizingly long pause in which the man simply stood in his 'thumbs up pose' for a good long time.

"Well, then it is a pleasure to meet you, lovely Mitsuko!" He, once more, flashed his teeth and gave her the thumbs up. Sakura and Mitsuko both sweat dropped.

As the fights continued, Temari and Shikamaru squared off, while Kankuro forfeited and left Shino to fight absolutely no one, a fact that Mitsuko was sure pissed the bug boy off a bit. She knew if that had been her, she definitely would have smacked the Puppet Master a good one.

After Shikamaru forfeited his own match, it seemed, to Mitsuko at least, all the events were leading up to the climactic clash between Sasuke and Gaara. She folded her arms lightly over her chest. "I hope Sasuke loses," she muttered, earning a glare from Ino, who had found a seat beside Sakura, and a worried glance from the pink-haired Kunoichi beside her. "_What_?"

It seemed Sasuke had picked up the habitual lateness from Kakashi, as the two barely arrived in time for the match. Mitsuko snorted; at least Sasuke didn't tell try to spin some ridiculous story about having to fight off a dozen tigers before he could make it to the arena. "Idiots."

"Aw, we're not _that _bad."

Mitsuko started slightly at a voice to her left, turning just in time to see Kakashi waving lazily at her from where he leaned against her seat.

"Yo."

Mitsuko sighed. "You and your lateness are going to get your pupils in trouble one day, you know that, right?" As his one visible eye curved upwards in amusement, Mitsuko decided then and there that he was a lost cause.

"But we got lost on the road of life…" he explained slowly.

Mitsuko quickly clapped a hand over his mouth to keep him from saying more. "Yeah, yeah. Save your excuses, Copy Ninja," she drawled, turning back to where Sasuke was beginning his fight with Gaara of the Sand. "You know, I hope your student gets beat into the dust, right?"

Kakashi lazily looked her over. "Why?"

"He's rude."

"Wonderful explanation. But so am I. Do you want me to get beat into the dust?"

Mitsuko glomped onto his arm, smiling happily as she hugged the ensnared appendage. "Of course not. You're my _friend_!"

The silver-haired Jounin sweat dropped, prying his arm loose after much maneuvering on his part. He cast Mitsuko a slightly amused, slightly creeped out look, before focusing his attention back on the match at hand.

It seemed, now that they had missed almost half of it, that Sasuke and Gaara were both resorting to some of their most powerful attacks. _Che. Pulling out all the stops on this one, eh Rooster Hair_? Gaara enclosed himself in a ball of sand, seemingly completely solid, while Sasuke used…

"Chidori?" the man in the green spandex suit asked Kakashi, suddenly serious. The lazy-eyed Jounin merely nodded slowly, before leaning on Mitsuko's chair once again.

"Yeah. Just watch."

Mitsuko looked back at the black-haired Genin, eyes widened ever so slightly as his palm lit up with chakra, the force of his energy so powerful that it was visible. He had gathered chakra on the soles of his feet, and was now powering up whilst standing on a wall.

_Only a freakin' ninja could do something like that._

Mitsuko watched in bewilderment as the young Uchiha prodigy charged the ball of sand, preparing to take it and Gaara out in one fell swoop. Her eyes flew closed, not wanting to see the carnage that was presumed to follow. She braced herself, waiting to hear the cries of agony that would surely resound through the stadium in a mere moment...

But nothing happened.

Her eyes popped open, and she was startled to see Sasuke struggling valiantly to pull his arm from the sand encasing it. He jerked violently, and wrenched it free, just in time for a spike of sand to emerge where he had been trapped only moments before. Mitsuko sniffed carefully.

The Silver haired Jounin beside her looked over curiously. "What's wrong?"

_**Kit. The boy with the sand. He's…**_

_I know, Tsubaki. I-I know._

Mitsuko growled softly, her eyes narrowing as she watched the Uchiha shake off his attack, holding his arm as though it pained him. "Someone is bleeding, and it's not your prodigy," she muttered crossly, folding her arms stiffly over her chest.

Kakashi looked surprised, and turned back to the fight, noticing that Sasuke looked a little worse for wear with a slightly crispy-looking arm, but he was most definitely not bleeding visibly. His gaze slid over to the woman beside him, who seemed to want the young Uchiha to lose. How could she have known that with a simple sniff? Something was most definitely wrong with her.

Mitsuko and the lazy Jounin were both startled when long, tentacle like arms of sand burst from inside the shield of sand Gaara had erected, and danced like a snake towards Sasuke. The Uchiha pranced backward, trying to dodge the blows that could surely crush his bones.

"Something is very wrong..."

A scream cut off Mitsuko's next comment, and all eyes turned towards the Kage's balcony, where it seemed to Kazekage had turned upon the Hokage. Mitsuko growled, a deep rumble beginning to edge it's way up her throat as she prepared to spring from her seat and make her way to the private booth.

"Damn," she cursed, and before she could leap, a strange feeling washed over her. She felt faint, and her vision became fuzzy. Distantly, she could hear the sound of fighting nearby, before a voice close to her hear whispered,

"Release!"

Mitsuko snapped back up, looking around in wild bewilderment. "What just happened?" She was met with the worried green gaze of Sakura, the pink haired kunoichi being the one who had saved her from falling victim to the Genjutsu.

"It was a Genjutsu. It made almost everyone in the stadium fall asleep, except Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei, you, and me. I think a few other Jounins and Chuunins fought it off as well." Her gaze cast about, looking worriedly from one person to another. "What are we going to do now?"

Mitsuko's blue eyes slowly bled to gold as the attacking ninja suddenly swarmed the stadium, ready to kill anyone who had escaped the Genjutsu. While it was a surprise that they had the guts to go after the Hidden Leaf, Mitsuko had a feeling they'd bitten off more than they could chew. A dark grin spread across Mitsuko's face, and in a voice that was clearly not her own, she began to growl.

_"Now, little kunoichi? Now, we kill the invaders."_

Mitsuko grumbled softly, edging away from her seat where Sakura crouched, ready to defend the young Kunoichi, and anyone else who happened to survive. Her nails slowly elongated, turning into claw-like weapons she would most assuredly be using.

A dark grin curved her small lips upwards as Tsubaki's chakra took precedence over her own, no longer melding, but overpowering it completely. Anyone who met her waiting claws would surely perish.

And of course, it wasn't long until this prediction came true.

A dark haired ninja, wearing a black body suit with what Tsubaki-Mitsuko assumed was the Sound Village's Chuunins or Jounin vest, darted towards her, kunai raised offensively in front of him.

Tsubaki-Mitsuko's eyes traveled over the length of his body, assessing both strength and skills. He was weak enough, and she knew he would be easy to dispose of. Leaping from where she stood, and using her chair as a catapult, she landed on top of the charging shinobi, pinning him with both feet firmly planted on his shoulders. Leaning down, she smiled viciously, bringing one arm back behind her head as she prepared to drive it straight through his heart.

_Tsubaki._

A voice in the far reaches of the demon's mind sounded warningly, a low growl rumbling in the back of her throat. An invisible force grabbed a hold of the creature's arm, holding back as it strained to strike.

_**He is the **_**enemy**_**, kit. You are not **_**allowed **_**to let him live. Release my arm.**_

With a small sound of annoyance, the force disappeared, and the strain that had been on the arm dissipated, leaving it to plunge freely into the body of the pinned Shinobi. He let out a blood-curdling scream, and then fell silent, his body going limp beneath the demon.

Pulling her arm free of the hole she had made with a wet, sucking sound, Tsubaki twitched as she shook the blood from her crimson covered appendage. Mitsuko had never _truly _let Tsubaki take over before, and now she knew what might happen if she did.

It scared and amazed her all at the same time.

Righting herself, she turned back to see Sakura watching with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open. For a brief moment, Tsubaki felt ashamed that she'd let her baser instincts rule, but it was quickly averted as another enemy jumped her from behind, a kunai grazing the flesh of her neck.

A low growl escaped the Jinchuuriki's throat, and she reached behind her, flipping the attacking shinobi over her head and onto the ground at her feet. The sound of bones cracking met her ears, and she smiled victoriously, stepping on his chest and hearing another sickening crack as she completely destroyed his rib-cage.

The demon launched from atop the downed ninja, coming to a stop near Kakashi and Gai, where they easily dispatched one enemy after another. She smiled as she sidled towards them, punching a random shinobi that came up behind her.

_"How goes it?" _she inquired sweetly, though her voice was not her own. She received a confused look from Gai, and a suspicious glance from Kakashi.

"Pretty good," he replied, using his kunai to slice through and enemy's stomach. Gai followed his example, but the ninja _he _fought was sent flying over the edge of the stadium from the force of his kick.

_"Ah, that's good," _she murmured, pulling out a kunai form Kakashi's holster while he dispatched another enemy. The silver-haired Jounin watched with quiet apprehension, suddenly wondering if this new Mitsuko would turn on _him_. When she instead whirled to slice through another opponent, he visibly relaxed.

"I'll be back," he told her and Gai, leaving the two back to back as he moved over to where Sakura was. Tsubaki tracked his progress with her eyes, before her attention was called away by another enemy.

Sighing, she pressed closer to Gai, making sure there was no way an enemy could get between them and hack at their backs. Her dark hair began to come loose from it's hastily thrown together bun, and Tsubaki cursed. _**Che. Nuisance. **_With her free hand, she grabbed the bun and yanked it out, letting her hair flow freely. In the next instant, her claws had sliced through the strands, leaving them to brush delicately against her cheek and around her ears.

_Tsubaki! You bitch! It took me years to grow my hair out!_

_**We must all sacrifice for the greater good.**_

Tsubaki's golden eyes suddenly widened as another opponent sped towards her, and she had no time to bring her arms up in defense. The shinobi's kunai plunged into her right shoulder, eliciting a pained yelp from the young Jinchuuriki. She snarled, and pulled the knife from her tender flesh, watching as the blood seeped out in red rivulets. The ninja who had stabbed her took a fearful step back. He had never heard something so feral come out of _any _human's throat. His face visibly paled when she looked at him, and he could see the anger shimmering in her cold, bright eyes.

_"You shouldn't have done that," _she murmured, a growl rising up to reverberate through her chest.

Mitsuko, in the back of her own mind, watched in silent horror as Tsubaki began to take full control. The round human ears faded away, and atop her head, long, spiraling dog ears formed, materializing out of nowhere. The pupils in he pale amber eyes slanted, dilating as they focused upon the enemy ninja, her _prey_. Mitsuko's canines slowly elongated into fangs, protruding from her mouth in a feral grin. Her nails lengthened into claws, while her hair shimmered and faded into a pale ivory, tipped in blue towards the end. Three long, navy stripes appeared above and below her eyes, glowing brighter with each passing moment.

_"You _really _shouldn't have done that." _

The ninja screamed as Tsubaki lunged forward, digging her claws into his chest. She yanked him towards her, holding him mere inches from her face._ "Don't worry, _fool_. Your death will be quick." _Raising her arm, she drew it back, and let it fly with deadly force. It plunged through his throat, and Tsubaki dropped the dead man as his blood sprayed across her face and dark clothes.

A wicked smile spread across her features, and her feral gaze flew around the stadium, looking for another victi- er, opponent. Her eyes darted past Gai, who was watching her in a mixture of horror and disgust, and then strayed to the bottom of the stadium. _There_, yes, _there _was her next unwilling victim. The one Gaara called his _'teacher,' though _she highly doubted that the fool, Baki, taught the Sand shinobi anything. Tsubaki leapt from her perch high above the stadium floor, landing beside the other Jounin, who she knew, from his position as the referee, was named Genma.

The Leaf Jounin looked startled, and fearful for a moment as the demon possessed woman landed beside him. But as her eyes glanced back at him over her shoulder, he seemed to relax, taking this as a sign that she was on their side.

Baki was not feeling as confident as he had been before, and definitely not as reassured as _Genma_.

In fact, he looked like he had just seen a ghost. Tsubaki grinned wickedly, and brought a pale hand up to watch the blood slid down her arm. _"What's the matter?" _she purred in a sickly-sweet voice. _"I thought you would be used to being around _demons?"

If possible, he looked even more frightened.

She watched in silent amusement as he raised a shaky hand, clicking his fingers together in an attempt to send some sort of attack her way. She tilted her head in a bemused manner, not seeing the wind blades until they hit her. Startled by the sudden force of the impact, she skidded backwards as they sliced through her thin clothes, cutting at the tender flesh beneath. Yelping in pain, she leapt back, landing on all fours a few feet away.

Baki seemed to think he had put her on the run, and repeated the attack, aiming at her new position only a little ways off. Tsubaki was ready this time, and jumped to the side, easily avoiding the dancing blades of wind. She watched them hit the wall behind her, and slowly turned back to Baki.

Furious pale eyes glared out at him, anger smoldering in their depths as she slowly proceeded towards the Sand Jounin, stalking around him on two legs. Briefly, he saw something waving from behind her, and noticed that she had..._A tail?_

_Yes_, Tsubaki had grown a tail, and it twisted and twirled like a snake behind her lithe form. The demon creature giggled, a sound that felt foreign in her throat. _"You know, I rather like this look, don't you?"_ she drawled, waving one clawed hand in front of her. _"Makes me look...unique, eh?"_

Baki gulped audibly, and Tsubaki grinned as the fear in his scent suddenly spiked. He was absolutely saturated with fright, and she could sense every bit of it. _"Before I kill you," _she murmured darkly. _"Tell me _why _the Sand and the Sound are attacking Konoha."_

This seemed to snap him out of his fear-induced trance, and he snarled viciously. "I don't think that's any of your business, demon," Baki spat, glaring down at her as she watched in silent amusement.

_"Oh, I think it is," _she drawled. _"You see, even though I was not born here, this village has become my home. I will defend it with my life. You are attacking it, therefore you must die. I merely wanted to know why this was happening,. But if you don't feel up to talking, I suppose you must feel up to dying. So, all I have to say to your petty insult is; Goodbye."_

She launched herself towards the startled Sand Shinobi, and hit him full force in the chest, using her shoulder to take the brunt of the impact. Baki fell backwards with a winded 'Oomph,' before she landed on top of him, digging into his chest with her claws. He cried out, squirming wildly to try and break free.

Tsubaki snarled, digging her claws in deeper.

Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, a foreign force hit her in the back of the head, and she whirled to find another Sand Shinobi, accompanied by three of his comrades, and two from Sound. The leader of the small gang held a small rock between his fingers, and Tsubaki looked over to see another rock rolling away from her. She leapt off of her previous opponent, and stalked straight towards the new ones, stopping short five feet away as they brought out their _real _weapons.

Baki edged away from the crazed demon-girl, quickly collecting himself as he leapt the stadium wall and disappeared. Tsubaki spared him only a glance, before she turned back to the six ninja that had just saved his life.

_"Your friend abandons you while you stay and get killed in his place. That is true loyalty," _she murmured, and the Sand Shinobi took a step back at her appearance.

Tsubaki merely watched them quietly, head tilted at an odd angle as she sat back on her calves, hands splayed out on the ground in front of her. If not for the demon-like markings, she might have looked like a lost dog, just searching for it's next meal and a nice place to stay. But there was no mistaking _this _demon for a dog.

"We-we will d-die defending o-our comrades!" their _apparent _leader claimed valiantly, not noticing the two Sound Shinobi edging away from them. Mitsuko watched in silence, before leaping from her spot and landing with one foot on each of the Sound's shoulders. They lifted their arms simultaneously to try and unbalance her, but she stayed firm as their bodies wavered under her weight.

_"Seems to me like that loyalty is pretty thin, especially in the _Sound_. Next time you make a declaration about something like that, be sure of yourself and your comrades, and make certain it's actually true,"_ she told the Sand's captain, before flipping backwards and sinking her claws into the both backs of the two Sound ninja. They fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious and bleeding, but still alive.

Tsubaki straightened, turning her head to look at the Sand ninja who watched her with fearful apprehension. _"Go on. I have no reason to kill you. Get out of here before I change my mind."_

The four remaining ninja nodded mutely, and took off without so much as a backwards glance. Tsubaki rubbed the bridge of her nose, minding her claws, of course.

_"This is going to be one hell of a day."_

* * *

Mitsuko pinched the bridge of her nose, for what seemed to be the fifth time in only nine minutes.

After dispatching Baki and his, well, _un_-loyal minions, Mitsuko had taken it upon herself to assure Genma that, yes, she was on his side, and no, she would not live very long if he were to launch his entire arsenal of senbon in her direction.

Needless to say, she came away with her already injured arm looking, more or less, like a porcupine.

After Gai had descended from the stadium, and reinforced Mitsuko's assurances (and subsequently saved Genma from being mauled), the demonized girl was left on her own.

Pushing a strand of unkempt hair behind her ear, she wearily made her way back _up _to the stadium. Tsubaki had used up the last of her reserves in the fight, and had retreated back into Mitsuko's mind with a quiet command for Mitsuko to look after things. That left the girl to figure out how to look after herself with a dwindling chakra supply and no back up; Kakashi, Gai, and Genma had long since dispersed, each going their separate ways and taking on their own list of burdens.

Mitsuko decided that she would do well to follow their examples.

Leaping from the top of the dome, she landed on the outer wall, the one Gaara had escaped over, and Sasuke had followed in pursuit. Briefly, she wondered how they fared, but her mind was soon elsewhere as a shuriken whizzed by her head.

"Damn it all," she muttered upon seeing the form of a very distinguishable Konoha Ninja headed her way. At the Kunoichi's side was a rather large canine, it's fangs very clearly bared in a warning to the demon girl. However, before they got too close, Mitsuko hopped from the wall, and landed in the city streets, hitting the ground at a run. The kunoichi followed, though her giant companion was far ahead of her.

Mitsuko briefly glanced over her shoulder, and heaved a large, annoyed sigh, before skidding to a halt and whipping around. She had _thought _the dog might follow suit and stop as well. But he didn't.

Mitsuko soon found herself pinned beneath one hundred and fifty pounds of snarling fury. The ninja dog snapped it's teeth inches from her neck, before it's dark words penetrated the air.

"_Who are you, _demon_? And why do you walk _our _streets?"_

Surprised by it's voice, Mitsuko could only stare up into it's glowering, furred face, sputtering out a few squeaks here and there. A sharp whistle brought both creatures' attention to the kunoichi who had followed them. She stood only a few feet away, wild brown hair tousled from her run, and cheeks bright pink beneath two large, red triangles.

For a second, recognition flared up in Mitsuko's mind, and she vaguely recalled meeting someone who looked quite similar to this rather odd woman.

"_Kiba_!" she suddenly exclaimed, sitting up and, inadvertently, knocking the large dog off of her in her haste. It growled scornfully, before walking over to sit beside it's master. The woman lifted an eyebrow, before scratching her dog behind the ear.

"You, a demon, know my son? How?" She suddenly seemed to remember herself, and drew a kunai. "Give me one good reason why I should not kill you right here and now, demon."

"_Oi_," Mitsuko scoffed, clearly offended by the name she had been given. "I am _not _a demon. My name is Mitsuko. You could at least-" Her words were cut off when a shuriken embedded itself in her already wounded arm, renewing the bleeding it had taken her only moments to stop. She clutched her damaged appendage in pain, before blinking up at her attacker.

It seemed the female ninja did not take kindly to drawn out answers. "_Fine_. Kimiko Mitsuko. New resident of Konoha. I have _freaking _papers." Reaching into her back pocket, she drew out a small booklet, which was now quite rumpled and torn, and shoved it into the Kunoichi's face.

A small growl from the giant dog caused Mitsuko to rethink her proximity to the two, as the woman read and re-read her certified forms. "Very well. If you are indeed a fighter, then you will come with me."

"W-what?" Mitsuko was clearly confused. "How on earth would you have known I was a fighter?"

The woman sighed. "It says so on your papers. And I _just _saw you run across the wall and hop nearly thirty feet to the ground. _Without _any injury, I might add."

Mitsuko's face flushed a deep red, and she rubbed the back of her head with her hand. "Eh heh. I guess so. Sorry about that Miss...?"

"You may call me Inuzuka. Nothing more. No _Miss_. No _Mrs_. Just Inuzuka. Got it?"

Mitsuko nodded curtly before standing up on shaky legs. The woman glanced at her arm, before muttering a gruff apology. The demon girl waved it off. "Ah, it's nothing," she assured, before allowing the woman to take the lead. "For now at least."

Two hours later, it seemed as though they had all but cleared out the last of the remaining Sand and Sound forces. Many Konoha ninja lay dead, but even more ninja from Sound and Sand had fallen to the larger forces of the Leaf. Mitsuko wasn't surprised by this.

She and Inuzuka had stopped to rest near a battered looking building. Mitsuko knew that it was not usually so worn down, since she had passed by here only a few days ago. It seemed as though the outbreak of fighting had indeed taken a toll on Konoha.

Mitsuko rested her arms on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Inuzuka stood only a few feet from her, staring carefully into the distance. She looked well rested, and was really no worse for the wear. Mitsuko vaguely wished she had that kind of endurance. The large dog, whom the demon girl had found out was named Kuromaru, sat beside Mitsuko, panting, just like his new ally.

When he caught her eye, she smiled, and he gave her a nod. A thanks, in his own way, for her assistance. The small group had encountered quite a bit of opposition while trying to reach the Hokage cliffs. They knew the children of Konoha had hidden there, protected by only a few Chuunin, and one or two Jounin.

It was not an optimistic fact.

So Inuzuka had instructed Mitsuko to cut a path through the opposing forces with her Water Barrier Jutsu. It had worked fairly well, until the Sand ninja had discovered how to repel it. A few well placed wind blades had sent Mitsuko hurtling into a nearby wall, Inuzuka, into a merchants cart, and Kuromaru into a telephone pole.

Needless to say, they had been in quite a bit of pain after that. Adding to Mitsuko's arm injury was now a bruised thigh, a bloody lip, and a large bruise on her left arm. She felt horrible. Kuromaru was definitely feeling the pain too. He seemed to gurgle when he breathed, and she thought he may have a broken rib. He was most assuredly covered in multiple bruises, though his thick fur prevented his two human allies from seeing them.

Inuzuka was the only one who looked semi-normal. She had minimal bruising, but her back seem to be in a lot of pain. She had probably injured it when she crashed into that cart, the demon girl surmised.

Mitsuko sighed, before pushing herself to her feet. "Well, we're not going to get anything else done just sitting here," she announced, receiving a nod from Inuzuka, and a wince from Kuromaru. Inuzuka glanced at her companion, before bending down to eye level.

"Stay here, my friend. we can make it the rest of the way on our own. The opposition has dwindled enough for Mitsuko and I to get there relatively safely. Just rest. I will be back shortly."

Her companion gave her a relieved smile, before allowing his head to rest on the soft earth. Nodding her head to Mitsuko, Inuzuka leapt to the top of the nearest building, landing lightly on the tiles as she scanned the rooftops for any visible, or invisible enemy. Mitsuko followed, though quite a bit more awkward and clumsy. She slipped once, before scrambling up to stand beside Inuzuka.

"It's a straight shot to the Hokage monument. I don't perceive any threat from here to there, but that doesn't mean anything. Think you could make it if we were attacked again? Your arm is starting to look really awful."

Mitsuko glanced at her now hastily bandaged appendage, wincing a little as she tried to stretch it. It had gotten worse indeed; every time she moved it, a searing pain spread through her entire limb. But that didn't mean she couldn't use it. She tested it again, suppressing the hiss of pain that rose up in her throat.

"I think it'll be fine for now. It hurts, but it's still useable." She gave Inuzuka a curt nod, before taking a kunai the older woman offered her.

"All right then," she muttered, returning the nod to the younger girl. "Let's get going."

She sprinted down the length of the rooftop, nimbly leaping to the next one as she neared the end. Mitsuko followed at a slower pace, still quite awkward and slipping every now and again. Not for the first time that day, she found herself wishing she had Inuzuka's stamina, and, with a bit of envy, her grace.

As they sped along the rooftops of a bruised and battered Konoha, Mitsuko was vaguely aware of another mass presence follow close behind. Inuzuka must have sensed it as well, for she increased her pace, sending a meaningful glance over her shoulder at her companion.

The two did not get very far, when what they had feared surfaced.

Four Sound ninja, accompanied by two Sand, seemed to appear out of thin air. Of course, this was simply an un-clock-able speed, but it did not help Mitsuko's uneasiness. They were much faster than her, and probably a lot stronger than those she had fought in the stadium. With Tsubaki resting and recuperating after her strenuous bout of control inside of her mind, Mitsuko knew that, this time, she would be on her own.

Not counting Inuzuka, of course.

Readying her kunai, she saw Inuzuka do the same as the two prepared to fight for their lives.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Two Konoha ninja. And all alone, too. We could have some fun with this. What do you say, boys?" The rest of the Sound man's companions agreed, and there was a chorus of laughter that flittered through the small group as they began to close in.

Mitsuko growled, baring her still sharp fangs at the advancing enemy. Inuzuka did the same, though her fangs were _much _more real. The ninja that surrounded them did a double take, and then let out another bout of laughter.

"What's this? I think we have a couple of wild dogs on our hands. We'll be sure to be extra careful, _now_."

That was the only warning they go, as the rest of the enemy launched itself towards them.

Mitsuko was thrown off balance, and toppled backwards at the surprising assault. Her head knocked sharply against a tile, cracking the clay and sending a blinding wave of dizziness past her eyes. She wobbled precariously on the edge of the roof, before hauling herself to her feet.

She was immediately faced by three ninja. Of _freaking _course. It would figure that they split into even teams to tackle the two shinobi.

Narrowing her eyes, she snarled, and raised her kunai, which was still clutched tightly in her left hand. The ninja blanched for only a split second, before pushing off the roof and disappearing from view. Mitsuko cursed inwardly, before her hands flew through her favorite Jutsu seals.

"Water Style: Water Sword Jutsu!"

Instantaneously, two large blades of water formed on each of her hands, engulfing both limbs and kunai along with it. Just as soon as the water had solidified, the missing ninja reappeared, only this time, they were closer. Cursing her luck, Mitsuko back-peddled as far as she could, before being forced to leap to another rooftop.

The ninja followed, and a kunai, courtesy of their leader, flew straight towards her. Shakily, she knocked it away with one of her water blades, before rising to meet them head on.

Inuzuka was faring much better than her counterpart.

The moment the six ninja had spilt up, she had immediately began forming seals. A Shadow Clone Jutsu was very standard, but in this case, it was life saving. Her three attackers had no idea who was the real one, and so, leapt at whichever clone they saw.

Between the disappearing clones, and the puffs of smoke, Inuzuka quickly dispatched two of her assailants. Blood coated her kunai, and she paused for only a moment to switch hands and retrieve another one.

There was only one ninja left, and of course, he was far easier to deal with than his comrades. As she leapt towards him, he instinctively back-peddled, tripping over some loose tiling, and, Inuzuka thought, began to look incredibly like the clumsy girl, Mitsuko.

As she landed on top of him, her kunai pierced his chest, straight into his lungs. An odd gurgling sound accompanied his final breaths, before blood welled up in his throat, effectively choking the man to death.

_That was fairly easy_, she thought to herself, before turning to see how Mitsuko fared. Her eyebrow twitched lightly as she growled in annoyance. _Honestly_, _that girl needs to learn to fight properly._

At least one ninja lay dead or dying near her feet, but the other two would not relent in their attacks. They slashed and hit and punched every part of Mitsuko they could find. She was dripping blood by now, and her mid-section was covered in cuts, but she was effectively blocking most of the hits.

Mitsuko failed to see Inuzuka as she leapt to the other building But she did _not _fail to notice when both of her attackers dropped dead, multiple shuriken and kunai lodged in their backs. Her water blades faded instantly, and she let out a heavy sigh.

"Thanks, Inuzuka. I owe you one."

The older woman smiled lightly, and nodded. "You do indeed. Let's hurry and get going."

* * *

"You know, we most likely would have been fine."

Mitsuko really felt like slapping Iruka.

Only a few minutes after arriving, the two combatants sat in a small room, where Iruka tended to their injuries. It took him longer to bandage up Mitsuko, since she was worse for the wear. Inuzuka had taken up a total of five minutes.

"Yes, we know, Iruka. But it was for the best that we came. Just in case. I doubt though, that there will be any_one_ or any_thing_ attacking us now. Most of the opposition has been forced from Konoha. Or killed."

Mitsuko's hiss of pain brought the Chuunin's attention back to the task at hand, as he nodded at his superior. "That is good news. Perhaps the children will be able to leave soon, and go back to the academy."

Mitsuko's face was grim. "I don't think so. It won't be safe for quite a while. At least, not until the Hokage has taken care of the Kazekage. Che, can't believe he'd be so underhanded as to attack just like that. Why, I bet he'll take care of him in no time flat. The Hokage-" She was immediately silenced by a look from her Jounin friend, and her eyes fell to the ground. Iruka looked between them curiously, but knew it was not his place to ask.

"Well, let's just hope he does," he told his patient with a smile. "There all done, Mitsuko."

"Thanks, Iruka." Mitsuko returned his friendly smile, and slumped back in a small chair, grateful to finally be able to rest. In the back of her mind, however, Tsubaki was beginning to stir.

_**Kit, **_she murmured gently, aware of just how tired her ward was. _**Is something wrong?**_

_No, Tsubaki, _Mitsuko replied quietly, wavering on the edge of sleep. Her eyes drifted shut, and she blocked out the sound of Iruka and Inuzuka talking quietly only a few feet from her. _No...I think everything is going to be just fine._

Mitsuko had no idea how wrong she was.


	8. Believe It

_A/N: Don't own Naruto. Anywho, I'm working on the next chapter. I'm debating somehow having Mitsuko NOT be there when he dies (the details of that whole thing are all fuzzy for me, which means I'd have to go back and re-watch all the episodes...maybe not a bad thing. I may do that this weekend). So we'll see where it goes. Hopefully some more romance, and they figure out waht the hell they want. Enjoy! And, as always, reviews are most certainly appreciated and welcome._

* * *

_Chapter 15: Believe It_

Rain poured from the sky, spattering the cold, hard ground.

Everything seemed darker. Despair and sorrow were near tangible things as a crowd dwindled down the street.

A young girl sat quietly in a tree, arms wrapped tightly about her torso as tears fell down her cheeks, mingling with the fresh scent of the rain. She watched as the somber line of ninja and villagers alike filed past her.

Once or twice, a random shinobi would let their gaze slide up to the tree. But they paid her no mind. She was just another mourner, what right had they to interrupt her silent vigil?

There were no words spoken between the walkers, nor did they look anywhere but ahead. They gathered, silently, efficiently, and emotionlessly, before a large coffin, set upon a raised platform. A smiling man was portrayed in the large picture frame that at atop the inky blackness of the casket.

The rain continued to fall.

The young girl was soaked to the bone, her dark clothes, a sign of her mourning, clung to her body as she shivered against the cold. But she did not move, despite the coolness that made her fingers tingle and her arms numb.

Her gaze was drawn to the casket, and she stared at the picture atop the coffin for what seemed like an eternity. There was no voice in the back of her head. There was no comfort. She sat alone, tired and worn, and feeing drained of everything but sorrow. It wasn't as if she'd known him well, but still; death was still death. The quiet of the mourners felt stifling, and she briefly entertained the thought of leaving early. A solitary voice that rose above the din of silence stopped her from moving.

"Iruka-sensei, why do people risk their lives for others?"

There was a long pause, and then a quiet voice answered.

"When a person dies...he disappears. Along with his past, current lifestyle, and his future. Many people die in missions and in wars. They die easily and in surprisingly simple ways. Hayate was one of them. Those who die have goals and dreams... but everyone has something as important as those."

The man took a long breath.

"Parents, siblings, friends, lovers... people who are important to you. They trust and help each other. The bond between the people important to you ever since birth... And the string that binds them becomes thicker and stronger as time goes by. It's beyond reason. Those bound to you by that string will do that. Because of their importance."

The blonde boy was silent, his eyes downcast. The girl in the tree watched him carefully as he cast a sorrowful gaze at the casket, tears threatening to spill. She was surprised when they did not.

"Yes... I think I understand, somewhat. But..." She watched as his eyes drifted shut, before he allowed them to reopen, and focus upon her shaking form, so very far away.

"It's so painful when someone dies."

Mitsuko couldn't agree more.

And the rain continued to fall.

* * *

Mitsuko listened to Naruto's story in silence as the two sat under the roof of Ichiraku's.

Naruto was regaling Mitsuko with the story of his defeat of Gaara. The raven haired girl turned in her seat, leaning up against the counter. She waved a hand in dismissal, before grinning from ear to ear.

"Eh, Naruto, I've heard this story about, what now, five times? And each time it changes. So, what _really _happened out there?"

Naruto shook his head, before slurping down some of the noodles Mitsuko had so _generously _bought him (read: she'd been weaseled into it). "I already told you what happened. Take it or leave it," he sniffed, though a smile spread over his features.

Mitsuko huffed, before pushing herself away from the counter. "Che. You sure have changed, Naruto." He scowled when he heard the amusement in her voice, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride when she told him he had grown.

"Thanks, Mitsuko," he replied, before diving back into his bowl. The girl shook her head, before lifting the cloth over the side of the roof, and walking away without a word.

Naruto hadn't even noticed.

* * *

"It's been a long day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah."

Mitsuko leaned nonchalantly on a large boulder, watching as Naruto's sensei cleaned his weapons in the stream. Kakashi glanced up, as though suddenly wondering why she was there.

"Why _are _you here, Mitsuko?"

Mitsuko shrugged, lazily playing with a short piece of her hair. "Bored. Nothing to do. The usual. Why? It's not like _you _care."

Kakashi shrugged, much like she had, before once more tending to the cleanliness of his kunai. The stream bubbled by merrily as the silence stretched on between them.

"You're right. I _don't _care."

Mitsuko blinked open one eye, but chose not to comment. The two were apathetic towards one another, and, though she could hardly sense it, she knew that something had changed between them since he had seen her in her demon form.

"I'm leaving."

It was a simple statement, but it was one that caught his attention. The silver haired Jounin looked up, his visible eye examining her critically.

"What did you say?" he questioned lazily. If he cared, he sure didn't show it much.

Mitsuko nodded, folding her arms across her chest as her shoulders dug into the boulder. She ignored it, and pressed on, aware that she had finally said something of interest.

"That's right. I'm leaving Konoha. For...a while, anyways. There isn't anything here for me. I don't think there ever _really _was."

Kakashi watched her for a moment longer, before he dried his hands on his pants, picking up his weapons and placing them back in their respective holsters. He stood up, and brushed imaginary dust off his shoulders, before eyeing her skeptically.

"You can't be serious."

Mitsuko scowled. "I am serious. What, you have something to _say _to me?"

The Jounin placed his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to the side in a lopsided shrug. He offered her a smile, or what she assumed was a smile by the way his eye curved upwards.

"You don't think there was ever anything here for you in Konoha? What about friends? What about a new life? What about Naruto? You're just going to up and leave all that behind, aren't you? Well, if that's you decision, then I can't stop you. I _can _wish you good luck though."

He walked past her, but stopped and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just don't forget where you belong, all right, kid?" The weight on her shoulder lifted, and Kakashi was gone in a puff of smoke.

Mitsuko wondered if she was doing the right thing.

* * *

The gates of Konoha sure looked a lot bigger the first time around.

Mitsuko stared up at the entrance, her face awash with memories as she smiled suddenly. Her hair was pinned back, and her clothes, dark as usual, were bathed in the morning light. The sun was just rising.

_**You are sure?**_

_I'm very sure._

The raven-haired girl straightened her shoulders, hoisting her pack up onto her back as she did so. "Well, here goes noth-"

"Mitsuko!"

Mitsuko was suddenly barreled over by a very orange blur.

"Gah! Help me! I'm being attacked by fruit!"

The orange blur suddenly sprouted a head, with spiky blonde hair. He grinned. "Feh, I'm not fruit, Mitsuko. I'm a ninja!" he protested loudly, before he noticed that the girl wasn't listening.

She stood up, brushing off her pants, and scowled. "Naruto, _what _do you think you're do-"

"He came to see you off."

Mitsuko glanced over her young friend's shoulder, only to see three more silhouettes against the rising sun. Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi had accompanied their orange clad friend to the gates to say goodbye.

Mitsuko swung her bag back over her shoulder, offering Naruto a hand up. "A great way to see me off, ne?" she mused, eyeing the smiling teacher. "I wonder who told them I was leaving?"

Kakashi held up a hand. "Guilty as charged."

Sakura glanced at her sensei, before her gaze slid back to Mitsuko. A small smile broke out over her features, and she moved forward to clasp the other girl in a friendly hug. "Sayonara, Mitsuko-san. Make sure you write often. I'll miss you."

Mitsuko returned the hug with one arm, the other holding her bag up. "Yeah, Sakura, no prob. I'll miss you too."

After her farewell ended with the pink haired Genin, she strode forward and held out her hand for the ebony haired Uchiha. "Well, Sasuke...It's been real. Catch you on the flip side, Rooster Hair."

The boy grudgingly shook her hand, his head turned at an angle as his eye twitched slightly. "Yeah. Whatever. Just don't get killed."

Mitsuko shrugged, taking that as the best goodbye he could muster, before turning to Kakashi. "I _guess _I should say thanks."

He looked surprised, and showed it by blinking twice. "For...?"

Mitsuko offered the Jounin a shrug, saying only; "I don't really know," before she gave him a goodbye hug as well. He returned it, albeit, a bit awkwardly, before the younger girl turned away.

"Naruto?"

The orange clad ninja had been silent while Mitsuko said her quiet goodbyes. But now, as she turned to him, he nodded his head. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, then," he commented, his eyes somewhat downcast.

Mitsuko sighed and enveloped him in a rough one armed hug. "Aw, don't act like I'm _dying_. I'm just going to be gone for a little while, you know? I'll be back. I promise."

Naruto looked up at his friend, and blue eyes met blue. "You promise?"

Mitsuko nodded. "Cross my heart. But I'll miss you, all right." She chuckled, before ruffling his hair. "_Believe it_."

Doing a perfect about-face, the young Jinchuuriki dramatically walked off into the sunset, waving over her shoulder as she marched over a hill.

Her friends couldn't help but wonder what might become of her as she tripped over a rock and tumbled down the opposite side.

* * *

"This doesn't look right."

Mitsuko twisted the map upside down, tilting her head along with it. She couldn't make hide nor hair of the landscape, and it _certainly _wasn't how it was portrayed on the map.

"Hm. I think this map is broken," she muttered, scratching her head. "At least I'm not lost, _yet_." Folding her 'broken' map back up, she placed it in her pocket and gazed over the landscape. A huge sweat drop appeared on the back of her head.

"Who am I kidding. I'll _never _find my way there!"

Fifteen minutes later, and she'd made absolutely no progress.

"I hate sand."

_**That has got to be the twelfth time you have said that. I tire of you. And the sand.**_

"Yeah well, that was the twelfth time you've complained. Get off my back."

_**We would not be in this predicament, if you had just asked for directions.**_

"We wouldn't be in this _predicament _if you hadn't told me to go the wrong way. What was up with that?"

_**I did not give you the wrong directions. My information was just a bit...Off.**_

"By about twelve freaking miles, it was!"

_**Oh, just shut up!**_

"You shut up!"

_**No!**_

"Yes!"

_**No!**_

"Yes!"

_**No!**_

"Ye- Oh look, a village."

_**Idiot.**_

Mitsuko made a bee-line for the spiraling towers she could see vaguely outlined in the distance. For some odd reason, she felt as though this place was familiar. But when she tried to conjure up images that reminded her of the village, all she could see were a pair of jade eyes, staring back at her through the darkness. It was probably just the heat getting to her. And the sand.

It reminded her of _him_.

As she reached the outskirts, a familiar feeling spread over her, and she halted in her tracks immediately. A gust of wind blew the sand out from under her feet, and she realized she was standing in a vortex or wind.

"Hm," she mused, squeezing her eyes shut to avoid getting sand and grit in them. A sudden presence and a familiar flash of chakra overwhelmed her sense, and she stumbled out of the whirlwind, only to come face to face with narrowed jade eyes.

"What are _you _doing here?"

The cold voice sent shivers down her spine, and Mitsuko blinked, rubbing sand away from her face and clothes. "I got lost," she said, not realizing who she spoke to. "I was just-" She stopped on a dime, her eyes widening a she beheld the red-haired boy before her.

"_Gaara_?"

* * *

"See!" Mitsuko shouted, pointing a slender finger at him. "I told you that you were stalking me."

Gaara gave her a very bemused look, his customary frown only deepening and he took a step forward, coming closer to the pointing girl. "For the last time, I am _not _stalking you. I happen to live here," he deadpanned.

Mitsuko peered around him, eyes wide. "Really? You live _here_? Talk about your fixer-uppers." She 'meeped' when Gaara advanced a few more steps, his frown morphing into a very displeased scowl. "Eh, sorry, sorry. But seriously...Isn't it all...You know, like...Living on sandpaper?"

Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing as he let out a sigh that was something akin to frustration as he shook his head. "You haven't changed a bit, idiot," he muttered, before grabbing her arm and dragging her along after him.

Mitsuko was pulled through the village, her feet leaving long, winding trails through the sand. Most of the villagers gave them odd looks, more creeped out by the fact that Gaara was actually touching someone than anything else. Maybe this was his newest victim? The way she smiled happily and cheerily waved to everyone she saw seemed to say otherwise.

"So," she piped up, and Gaara glanced over his shoulder to show he had acknowledged her. "Where are you taking me?"

"To my home," he said in a cold voice, and Mitsuko was vaguely disturbed by the way he said that. It just screamed 'creepy.' He seemed to notice her slightly strange look, and turned back around, the barest hint of a smile curving at the corners of his mouth.

The two finally made it to a rather formal looking building, which Gaara promptly opened the door to and dragged her inside. Mitsuko, having been drug all over the city, was rather accustomed to being hauled about, and so, stumbled a bit when she was finally let go. She straightened herself up, and brushed some of the sand off of her clothes, scowling at Gaara in a very displeased manner. "I was _perfectly _capable of following you, you know," she muttered.

Gaara shot her a look that clearly said he didn't believe her. "You'd get lost in a circle," he said, as though he knew _that _much about her. "I don't trust you to be alone in my village."

Mitsuko's eyes shifted from side to side, and she regarded the circle comment with suspicion. "Who told you?" she asked, her voice high-pitched and paranoid. "Okay, so it was that one time. I swear, though, round shapes confuse me! Maybe if I'd been traveling in a square..."

_**Hopeless.**_

Gaara resisted the urge to snort and shake his head. After all, that would ruin his perfectly crafted image, and he simply couldn't allow that. "Wait here," he intoned quietly, and promptly disappeared.

Mitsuko raised a brow, thankful that Tsubaki was choosing to, for a time, remain silent. After all, it could get quite annoying when people were talking in your head all day and you tried to carry on a conversation _outside _your head. She decided to look around, and studied the tapestries and various artistic decorations that adorned the large room she was in.

Most depicted historical events in the Sand Village's history. Some of the vases were decorated in simple styles, using the soft reds and gold's of the desert to create stunningly beautiful designs. She was right in the middle of observing a rather large, rather old looking vase, when Gaara silently slipped back into the room.

"Having fun?" he asked quietly. Mitsuko screeched and knocked the vase over. She whipped around to try and catch it, just in time to see a lightly tanned hand dart out and grab a hold of it before it hit the floor. Kankuro, having been the one who caught it, chuckled and set it back on the table.

"Holy monkeys! Don't you do that _again_!"

Gaara raised one non-existent eyebrow, and simply stared at her for a moment. "What?" she mumbled. "Just because I have good senses doesn't mean I can hear you every time you walk in a room..." She paused at how stupid that sounded. "Just forget I said anything." She then turned to look at Kankuro, who had forgone his weird face paint and the weird little cat-like hood thing he always wore. "You know," she said conversationally. "You look much better without all your makeup and that creepy little hat on."

Gaara's eye twitched, and Kankuro gave her a dashing smile, as though she had just paid him a great compliment. Despite their initial meeting, and how badly it had gone, she felt her cheeks warming up slightly. He sure did have a nice smile. And without his face paint, he was rather...Good looking. "Why thank you, Mitsuko. I appreciate that. It's not often I'm complimented by a pretty girl."

Mitsuko snorted. "What happened to '_annoying little girl_,' then, huh?" she asked, getting over her momentary infatuation. The middle Sand sibling simply chuckled, and shrugged, while Gaara took a step forward, presumably to take Mitsuko's bag, since he held a hand out for it. What he received, however, was not what he was expecting.

WHACK!

Gaara, having not expected the abrupt attack, winced a bit as a few inches of sand began to crack on the left side of his head. He reached up a hand to cover it, staring slightly wide-eyed at Mitsuko, with something akin to confusion and surprise.

"What was that for?" he heard Kankuro exclaim, looking absolutely horrified. Hey, Gaara's temper may be a bit more mild since their encounter with Konoha, but it was not completely abated. You could still piss him off, and he'd tear your ass apart.

"For freakin' beating the crap out of _Naruto_!" Mitsuko growled suddenly, aiming another attack at the Sand Shinobi. This time, though, Gaara caught her wrist with a low growl of his own, and twisted it sharply behind her back.

"You and I are going to have a little chat _now_, Mitsuko," he said, and it was clear that he was pissed, despite the flat tone of his voice.

Despite being afraid for Mitsuko's life, Kankuro was not stupid enough to step in, and wisely backed out of the room as Gaara hauled a cursing Mitsuko down the hallway and into one of the various rooms, slamming the door behind them.

Mitsuko sulked in her chair, arms crossed over her chest as Gaara watched her with an emotionless gaze from across the table.

"You really shouldn't hit people, you know."

Mitsuko snorted. "Then you shouldn't beat up blonde ninjas and leave them for dead. Jerk."

Gaara leaned back in his own chair, observing her quietly. "Would you have preferred that he _and _I were killed?"

His soft question startled the young woman, and she abruptly sat up, eyes wide. "No, no," she said, trying to amend her own statement, and somehow, clear the air. He looked angry, and, for some reason, she felt that he was upset with what she had said. She waved her hands frantically. "I just...Hearing the story from Naruto...You really went _crazy _on them. It's a good thing he was there to stop you, or you really _might've _died. Along with half of the country. So I'm glad _neither _of you were killed. Or hurt too bad...Er..."

She trailed off at the odd look that Gaara was giving her, and suddenly, the hem of her shorts became very interesting. She picked at it with the tips of her fingers, determined not to let him see the light blush creeping up onto her cheeks. Gaara's next words startled her, and she looked up.

"No one has ever _truly _cared about me. Sure, my siblings might profess to, but in the end, they are simply _afraid_. You were never afraid of me, even when I threatened and even _tried _to kill you." He stood up, and was moving closer. Mitsuko eyed him carefully, looking like a dog about to flee from a cruel master. Gaara edged closer.

"You are strange. Maybe it is the demon within that gives you these odd abilities." At her surprised look, he let out a low, emotionless chuckle. "Don't think I don't know. Any fool can see what you are...Like _me_. A demon. Nobody wants you, and society shuns you. We are the same, you and I. Alone, unwanted."

Mitsuko shook her head. "No Gaara. I'm not like that. At least, not now. I made friends, and I changed. I don't remember ever wanting to be with other people. I've always liked being alone. But now that I have friends, I don't want to be by myself anymore. It just seems so lonely. I think back on my time in the wilderness, and sometimes, I wonder how I survived on my own. But...I'm not _alone _anymore," she said softly.

Gaara recoiled visibly, as though he had been struck, and turned away from her.

Something in his eyes made Mitsuko think that he really had believed them to be one and the same. But with her quiet words, his illusions about what they were seemed to have shattered, if only the moment. He stared out the window, hands clutching at the sill until his knuckles turned white. Funny how such a simple statement could have such a profound effect on someone.

She stood up, and moved a bit closer, her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly. It was a tentative touch, as though she were afraid he would turn away from her or knock her away. But when he did not, she became bolder, and placed her hand on his shoulder to gently turn him around. Blue met green, and she held his gaze for a moment, before hers fell to the floor. His remained on her face, curious, and somewhat sad.

"You can change too, you know. Maybe that fight with Naruto knocked something besides a concussion into that thick skull of yours. You don't have to be alone. Not if you don't want to. What do you say?" She held out one hand as Gaara stared at her silently, his eyes narrowed in quiet thoughtfulness. Slowly, tentatively, he reached out to take her hand.

* * *

"Where are we going again?" Mitsuko commented wearily.

Kankuro and Temari sped along in the branches below, using the trees for both transportation and cover. She and Gaara were high above them, floating on a cloud of sand, which Mitsuko found fascinating and terrifying all at the same time.

Gaara seemed to roll his eyes, a gesture Mitsuko found he had gained in the short time they'd been away from one another. That, and a new set of clothes. Which she liked very much.

_Rawr_.

_**You are so strange, **_Tsubaki commented, speaking up for the first time since her arrival in Sunagakure.

_Oh come on. He looks cute...And he's not so evil anymore. His clothes suit him, right?_

_**Give me strength.**_

_Psh, like you need any more of that. _

Mitsuko realized that Gaara had been staring at her strangely. "What?" she asked, her eyes snapping up to lock onto his gaze. The Sand Shinobi gave her an odd look, his mouth quirking upwards in what appeared to be a smirk.

"Were you just talking to the demon?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

Mitsuko blinked, and looked confused. "Yes, actually. How did you know?"

Gaara shrugged. "You spaced out, and your eyes looked slightly yellow. Easy enough to put two and two together. I would say you had a blank look on your face, but you look like that a majority of the time. As to why we are going where we are going-" Mitsuko blinked, forgetting her sudden indignation at his 'blank look' comment. "-We are going to help a few friends who are in dire need of assistance." He seemed very determined when he said that, as though it was completely important to reach these friends as quickly as possible. They had certainly left in a hurry.

Mitsuko had been in the Sand Village a grand total of four days. Her journey there, what with getting lost and all, actually took her near enough to 3 weeks. Adding up all the time between that and now that had transpired since the Chuunin Exam...She hadn't seen Gaara in nearly five months, if she calculated right. But she usually didn't, so it was a safe bet that it had been much longer.

She sighed, and tugged at the hem of her black tank top lightly, not liking the breeze that kept trying to ruffle it upwards. Quite annoying. Her mind went back to what Gaara had said.

"Assistance?" Mitsuko ventured to ask, trying to get more of an explanation, before the sand beneath her suddenly plummeted, and she and Gaara were speeding towards the earth. Below them, Temari and Kankuro had taken off in separate directions. Mitsuko shrieked, and clung to the sand wielder, to his hidden amusement. He glanced at her, with her arms wrapped tightly around his torso, and chuckled quietly.

Gaara found Mitsuko to be highly entertaining. But he also tried not to think about the fact that she was so close. Of her own volition. He usually didn't allow anyone to touch him, at all. But here she was, clinging to him for dear life. An odd twist of fate. His cheeks lit up ever so slightly, and he turned his steely gaze back to the earth.

"Holy sh-!" Mitsuko's cry was cut off as she and Gaara were deposited safely on the ground, a few feet away from the oddest site she'd ever seen. A strange, beast-like creature was furiously attacking a very large shield of sand that had inexplicably (Or explicably, if you count Gaara being here already) risen up to defend a figure lying on the ground.

"Don't ever do that _again_!" Mitsuko nearly screeched, whacking Gaara on the arm. He turned a mild glare in her direction, but his attention was quickly focused back on the strange beast and it's opponent, or rather, _victim_, might be the correct term.

The figure on the ground seemed to rise, shake off whatever stupor he was in, and backpedaled quickly to stand beside Mitsuko and Gaara. Mitsuko gave him an odd look, thinking she had seen him somewhere before, when it hit her. "Rock Lee!" she exclaimed, and he whipped his head around to stare at her with very evident surprise.

"You know my name, miss?" he asked, completely clueless to the fact that she'd basically met him once before. Mitsuko sighed, and waved him off, feeling Gaara's annoyed stare turn back to her, then to Lee, and then back to their opponent. He was clearly not happy that she knew the so called 'Bushy-Brows.'

"Never mind," she muttered. "Just call me Mitsuko. I'm a friend of Naruto's." At this, Lee seemed to brighten, and nodded fiercely, his eyes seeming to blaze as he stared back at the monster, before launching himself towards him.

He didn't make it far, however, and was tripped up by a bit of Gaara's sand. "That was _so _not nice," Mitsuko commented, watching as the sand brought Lee back to lay on the ground beside her. Gaara shrugged, as Lee leapt to his feet, and Mitsuko seemed to think he took some sadistic pleasure in having knocked Lee down after seeing how he and Mitsuko had automatically seemed to get along.

_Jealous much? _

"This is _my _fight!" Lee shouted, his eyes blazing. Mitsuko looked taken aback, noticing how bloody and bruised he was. He must've been a punching bag or something before they arrived. Her eyes narrowed, and she stalked forward. No way she'd let him fight in that kind of condition, almost-stranger or not.

"Yeah _right_," she scolded, grabbing him by the arm. "Let Gaara deal with that _thing_. He'll win this fight for _sure_."

Gaara glanced back over his shoulder at the vote of confidence, before turning back to the _thing _that had been patiently standing there while they bickered. It seemed annoyed at being referred to as a monster, and it's dark eyes narrowed. "_Monster_?" it hissed and Mitsuko realized it was, or maybe once had been, a man. "Strange, how ironic that is. And here I was thinking the _same _thing of your red-haired companion."

Mitsuko bared her teeth in his direction, fangs flashing dangerously, and the creature let out a low chuckle. "Better keep that dog on a leash, before she _bites _somebody."

Gaara was not as inclined to be talkative, and was advancing upon the creature with growing menace in his eyes, sand slowly seeping from his gourd and swirling through the air. It seemed that the man's taunting had ignited a spark of anger in him, and he wasn't about to let him get away with what he said. Mitsuko vaguely heard Lee shout something to Gaara about 'Kimimaru's ability to manipulate his bones. Be careful!'

Mitsuko's eyes widened slightly. Kimimaru was not a name she knew, but that ability was known to Tsubaki.

_**A rather forgotten art. Or more, a forgotten Clan. Considering he is alone, he is most likely the last. Such an ability has a tendency to kill more than it creates. Gaara must be on his guard, no matter how many of these people he faces. This Skeleton wielder will not go down easily. **_

Kimimaru seemed tired of waiting, and began to formulate a strategy. The bones in his fingers began to grow, to be used as projectiles, but before he was able to launch them, Gaara sent a large tendril of sand snaking towards him at break-neck speed. Kimimaru looked surprised, and tried to weave around the attack, but Gaara's sand was relentless, and followed the Skeleton wielder wherever he went. Kimimaru did not get a moment's rest.

"Without your sand," he called, his voice seemingly faraway as he dodged and weaved the striking arms of sand. "You are _nothing_. If you did not have this ability, our fight would have ended the _moment _you set foot upon the battlefield."

Gaara's eyes seemed to harden, and, after performing a few quick hand signs, he murmured something too soft for Mitsuko to hear; probably the name of his attack. A huge cloud of sand hovered above Kimimaru, who smirked, and looked unimpressed.

"How _un_imaginative," he spat, his face twisting into a grim smile. He began to maneuver his way out from under the cloud, when he looked down and realized he was unable to move. His smirk quickly morphed into a scowl as he noticed the two tendrils of sand that had wrapped themselves around his legs.

Gaara smirked darkly, and made a sign with his hands. The sand began to swirl around Kimimaru, forming a tight cocoon around the trapped and hopelessly doomed Shinobi. Mitsuko watched in horror and fascination as the man was encased in solid sand. She was loathe to look away, because she wanted to see the Jutsu though to the end, but the events that transpired in between would most likely be quite gory.

Gaara's arm snaked out, and he twisted it, closing his fist, as he silently and emotionlessly enclosed the Sand Funeral on his trapped foe. Lee, beside Mitsuko, was happily jumping up and down. He was quite convinced Gaara had won. But the woman was not so sure, and her gaze hardened as she stared at the coffin of sand. Mitsuko placed a hand on Lee's arm, and nodded grimly towards the mound of sand. "Not quite," she murmured, her voice low, and expectant.

Gaara was surprised as his coffin was ripped apart, and Kimimaru reappeared, his face a solemn mask of anger. "Impressive. If not for my ability to grow additional bones beneath my skin, the force of your Jutsu would have crushed me completely. I believe I underestimated you. But I won't be caught again so _easily_." He brushed a bit of sand off his shoulder, and his anger turned into haughty bemusement.

Well, Gaara just looked _pissed_.

His hands flew through the seals so quickly, Mitsuko had a hard time figuring out which ones he had used. A giant wave of sand rose from the ground in front of him, as well as his two companions standing directly behind him, and reared up into the sky. Kimimaru was engulfed in the wave as it crashed down upon him, and most of the forest was demolished along with him.

Lee was once again shouting happily about how Gaara managed to beat Kimimaru. Mitsuko growled and smacked his arm. "Oh, shut up. Every time you say he's beat him, that _thing _keeps coming back. He's like a _cockroach_, I swear. And you're a _jinx_." Lee looked hurt, but an unsteady trembling of the ground shook both he and Mitsuko sharply, and they looked to see Gaara kneeling down with his palms pressed against the earth.

Mitsuko gazed out over the sand. "Well, maybe you just about did it," she commented finally as everything became quiet, a hand shielding her eyes from the sun. "Looks like he might be good and dead _now_." She stepped forward and clapped Gaara on the shoulder. "Good job, Mr. Sandman." He offered her a withering look, and they turned to leave, and gather up Lee on their way out, when the sound of shifting sand caught their attention.

They whirled back around, Gaara instantly reacting by using his desert coffin. But Kimimaru was persistent, and managed to claw his way out of that was well. Now he looked like a true monster. A tail had sprouted from his back, and his skin was a dark, almost ashen gray. Anger seemed to radiate around him, and his aura pulsed a dark, terrifying indigo, his body covered in strange symbols. He advanced forward a couple of slow, agonizing steps, seemingly shaken, but not yet dead. His bones stood out prominently on his body, and he looked like a man half starved. Kimimaru stared at them with stormy, angry eyes, and his gaze was frightening to behold.

As he clawed his way out of the last remnants of the coffin, he launched himself at Gaara and Mitsuko, where the two stood side by side. Gaara furiously threw up shield after shield of sand, desperate to block him, though it did not show on his relatively calm face. Mitsuko was barely aware of Lee jumping in to try and stop Kimimaru, nearly being injured in the process as he was forcefully shoved backwards by a shield of angry sand. Mitsuko reached out and yanked him back by the arm, finishing the sand's job and hauling him backwards and away from Gaara.

Kimimaru, to Gaara's disgust and, in Lee's and Mitsuko's cases, horror, removed his spinal cord and tried to use it like a lasso to catch and subdue Gaara so he could attack him. But Gaara was ready, and threw up his ultimate shield; a rather strange looking raccoon type creature, which Mitsuko found frightening, and hilarious at the same time. But it really would not be appropriate to start laughing at the thing; after all, it was saving their asses.

Kimimaru launched attack after attack, but the shield was completely solid and would not break. He paused only long enough to discuss his bond with Orochimaru, which Mitsuko _really _wasn't interested in. Only someone truly pathetic would latch onto a stronger person, with the thought that they offered life, protection and love in exchange for murdering, blood, and cruelty.

"You know, he gave me a reason to live, when no one else _could_," he murmured finally, and his eyes seemed to stray to Mitsuko. She was disgusted by his words, and narrowed her own right back. Kimimaru seemed to find this amusing, and only smiled. He turned his dark gaze back to Gaara. "Have you found _your _reason for living?" he asked the Sand Shinobi, a dark smile curling up the corners of his lips. He snaked out an arm, and a few projectiles flew from his fingertips; more of his bones.

They headed for Mitsuko and Lee.

Gaara's eyes widened and he instantly sent up a shield of sand to catch the projectiles before they hit Mitsuko. Kimimaru took this opportunity to attack Gaara, but the shield held fast, and the bone that Kimimaru was using as a weapon shattered. With a growl that was nothing but pure fury, he used a strange, and most likely one of his ultimate, techniques. Bones shot up from the ground, impaling anything that stood in their way.

Gaara only had enough time to scoop himself and his comrades up into the air with his sand before the spot they were standing became a dry bone bed. Gaara looked tired, and was leaning on one knee. Mitsuko knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I think _that _did it," she murmured softly. "I think he's dead." Gaara glanced at her with something akin to relief, and she felt his body lean heavily against hers as his exhaustion began to creep up over him. He had used up a _lot _of chakra.

But Mitsuko wasn't completely correct. Beside them, in a large tree made completely of bone, Kimimaru's torso appeared. A cry of pure rage, anguish and hate escaped the skeleton user's throat as he thrust a spear made of bone in their direction.

Surprised and exhausted, Gaara barely had time to react, and the sand barrier wasn't as quick to shield them as it had been before. Mitsuko was convinced this was the end, and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Gaara close to her as she waited for the inevitable. But the impact never came. She peeked open one eye, and looked confused as Kimimaru seemed to have frozen in time. His body was solidified into bone, blood dripping to the forest floor, or what was left of it, in a slow, steady stream.

Forgetting their now deceased opponent, Gaara guided their little sand cloud over to the base of a few giant trees, where he let it dissipate and slumped to the ground in exhaustion. Lee was right beside him, and slumped onto a tree opposite. Mitsuko, the only one who hadn't fought, tended to them as best she could. "Some fight," she commented, as Gaara raised his eyes to her. His small smile comforted her, and she was certain he'd be fine. She moved to check Lee's wounds over, but was stopped by a hand at her wrist.

"Perhaps, I _have _found my reason to live," Gaara murmured quietly, before leaning back against the tree. He stared at her for a long moment, and Mitsuko stared right back, her mouth open in a small 'O' of surprise.

A sense of calm seemed to pass over his face, and he closed his eyes. Mitsuko knew he was not asleep, but allowed the confusion and shock to flitter across her face. Did he mean _her_? He barely _knew _her. They hadn't spent too much time together, and most of that time he spent threatening her, asking strange things, or trying to actually kill her. Not to mention the stalking. She reached up with a pale finger and traced her lips, remembering that day seemingly so long ago in Konoha when he had kissed her unexpectedly.

Was it all a dream? It almost seemed to be. But today had seemed too real to be a dream.

_**Perhaps he truly **_**has **_**found his reason for living, kit. Have you found yours? **_

Mitsuko couldn't answer that question. She wasn't sure if she ever _could_. But a thoughtful look spread across her face, and then a feeling of calm overcame her as she found the answer she was looking for. With a soft smile, she tended to Lee's injuries, and got the three ready to travel back to Konoha.

It was a short, and fairly uneventful trip to the Leaf Village. Lee, despite being beaten to a bloody pulp, was quite happy to amble on ahead, leaving her and Gaara to bring up the rear. Mitsuko hadn't said much of anything to the sand Shinobi since they had sat beneath the tree, and he had refused to look at her the entire way. Finally, she grew tired of his obstinacy and poked him in the arm.

"Look, what you said...I-"

"No need to explain anything," he replied in that same, deadpan voice he always used. "I don't expect an answer. I never did. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Jerk," Mitsuko growled, flashing bright, ivory fangs. "It _does _matter, and you know it. If you'd stop acting like _nothing _ever happened, we could probably figure out what really _did_," she replied, leveling her own glare in his direction.

Gaara turned and gave her a glare of his own. "Then if you are so concerned with an answer, why didn't you just give me one _there_?"

Mitsuko threw up her arms. "I thought it was a _rhetorical _question! Meaning, you didn't _want _an answer! At least, not then. You could've _asked _me if I felt the same way, you know. With that weird look that crossed your face back there, I thought you'd found your peace or your answer or _some_thing. Instead, you just bull up and refuse to talk to me because you _think _I rejected you."

Gaara turned his gaze away, and growled under his breath, the first real emotion he'd shown in a long while. "Well, _didn't _you?" he asked, still refusing to meet her gaze.

Mitsuko blinked in surprise, and then turned to him, her eyes slightly wide. She seemed quiet for a moment, and lost in thought. She remained silent for so long, that Gaara actually turned to look at her, wondering why she wasn't speaking. Mitsuko seemed not to be looking at anything, as her gaze was distant, and almost faraway.

"No," she said at last, startling the red-head beside her. "No, I didn't. And I _never _would." She smiled lightly at him, and leaned over to give the stunned Sand ninja a peck on the cheek. "Oh, _look_! The Leaf Village's gates!" she exclaimed suddenly, before pelting off after Rock Lee, who had, it seemed, decided to skip ahead and greet the ANBU at the gate. Mitsuko followed suit, leaving a very confused, and stunned Sand Shinobi in her wake.


	9. Nonsense

Author's Note: I'd just like to say that I am extremely sorry to everyone following this story. Naruto faded out of existence for me. I can honestly say I don't even know what the heck is going on in the Manga's and it's all very boring for me. But that doesn't mean I love Gaara any less, or that I don't remember how much I enjoyed the show and comics. So from here on out, this story may or may not completely deviate from the manga/anime and become it's own story. I apologize for messing anything up; I've completely lost most of my memory when it comes to anything manga/anime and stuff, except for Yu Yu Hakusho and Bleach. But you guys deserve more story! So I intended to give it to you when I can. Love you guys forever!

* * *

_Chapter 9: Nonsense_

Konoha hadn't been all that eventful.

Mitsuko and Gaara had spent a better part of ten minutes giving their 'report' on what had actually happened, then rested a while in the hostpital to regain a portion of Gaara's chakra. Mitsuko was impatient, and Gaara was just plain bored.

After that, she'd practically shanghaied him into sneaking the four of them out of the village before Naruto or any one of her friends managed to find out they were there. She really just wanted to head back to Sand; she hadn't left Konoha just to come back a few weeks later, after all.

"So that was fun," Mitsuko began conversationally on the way back to the Sand Village. They were forced to hoof it, since Gaara had used up quite a bit of chakra in his fight with Kimimaru. She wasn't about to ask him to 'float' them back to the village.

"Hm, if your idea of fun is nearly dying on multiple occasions," he muttered quietly, then seemed to remember who he was talking to. "Which it actually seems to be, come to think of it."

Mitsuko snorted, arms folded behind her head as she strolled along beside her companion. "Flattery will get you nowhere," she chirped, dancing ahead of him a few feet.

Gaara observed her passively, arms folded over his chest as he walked. In such a short time, this girl had managed to worm her way under his impenetrable armor and taken up a permanent residence in his thoughts. He couldn't get her out of his head, and it was beginning to disturb him. There was nothing overtly extraordinary about her (if you didn't count the 'demon thing') and no reason for him to have become so fascinated by her. She was annoying, fluttered about entirely too freely, and had absolutely no respect for personal space or the fact that he had very much wanted and tried to kill her when they first met.

"What's on the agenda for when we get back?"

It took Gaara a few moments to realized Mitsuko had spoken to him. "There is no agenda," he replied flatly, shuffling along beside her. He glanced up and noticed that Temari, who had strolled along ahead with Kankuro, was watching him over her shoulder. Gaara didn't think he liked the smirk she was shooting in his direction. "It's just business as usual."

"Oh," Mitsuko responded, sounding somewhat glum. "So what _is_ business as usual in the Sand Village? For that matter, what do you do for fun in a village in the middle of a _desert_?"

"Fun?" Gaara replied, casting a blank stare in her direction. "I'm not sure I follow."

Mitsuko's face slipped into a horrified expression for a brief moment, before she immediately schooled it back into a smile. "Geeze. You really have been deprived. Fun. You know: eating out, hanging around with friends, training, shopping. That kind of thing."

Gaara raised one non-existent eyebrow. "I don't do _any_ of those things except training. None of the others are relevant."

"Who buys your clothes?"

"Temari."

"Ah."

Gaara wasn't sure what the look on her face as she said that meant, but he wasn't sure if he should be amused or offended that she seemed to find his lack of shopping experience funny. "What did you expect, Mitsuko? We're not Konoha. We can't exactly spend the day outside, unless we want to burn to a crisp. And most of our goods are imported, so there aren't many shops available except for the street vendors. And…I don't have friends, so it isn't as if I can 'hang out with them.'"

"That was one of the saddest sentences _ever_, Gaara," Mitsuko replied, raising an eyebrow. "You need serious help. Good thing I'm here! Now you have a friend to hang out with, right?"

Gaara hid his surprise. "Friend?"

"Should I explain it again? Yes, we're friends. You're really insecure, you know?"

Gaara watched as Mitsuko folded her arms behind her head, strolling along beside him with a carefree smile. He could honestly say that this had never happened to him before; it was a bit of a surreal experience, having a friend who was so comfortable around him. He'd never understood what it meant to care for someone, or to be cared for until he met Naruto. The Kyuubi had literally beaten some sense into him, and helped him see that being alone was a choice. And if he so chose, he didn't _need _to be lonely.

When he'd met Mitsuko, he was sure she was insane. But in reality, she just didn't care that he was a demon, or how many people he killed, or how many death threats he made. She was what Naruto had been trying to tell him about, he realized; she was his friend, and she cared about _him, _and who he was, not who he had been. He cared about her as well, though he didn't recognize what it was until he really thought about it. Could she be one of his…precious people?

When Mitsuko suddenly yelped and disappeared out of his line of sight because she'd tripped over a rock, Gaara wondered if his standards were slipping.

* * *

"Huh. So they want you to be their Hokage?"

"_Kazekage_, Mitsuko," Temari replied, leaning against the door. "They want him to be the Kazekage."

Mitsuko waved her hand, tipping back in her chair. "Meh, it's all the same to me, Temari. I don't get involved in politics; too confusing."

"Obviously," the blonde muttered under her breath.

"Question is," Kankuro began, breaking in abruptly when he saw the dark look Mitsuko was shooting his sister. "-why did the council choose him? They've been trying to-" He glanced quickly at Gaara, as if wondering how to delicately word his reasoning. "-er, kill him, for years. Then all of a sudden they decide he's good enough to become the Kazekage? It doesn't make sense."

Gaara remained silent, hands folded beneath his chin as he leaned on the table. Mitsuko tore her gaze from Temari and stared at him briefly, before she slammed her chair back down on the floor with a loud bang.

"Well, if you ask me, I think they've finally pulled their heads out of their wrinkled old asses-" Kankuro smothered a snort of laughter. "-and have realized that you'd be a great leader." She held up her hands, ticking off points on her fingers. "You're strong, you have an amazing amount of chakra, you're ridiculously good at deciphering paperwork-" She cast the stack of bills that sat beside Gaara's elbow a sour look. "-and you're not as bat-shit crazy as you were a few months ago. I'd _like_ to take some credit for that, but I think Naruto was the one who finally knocked some sense into you."

The corners of Gaara's lips quirked upwards ever-so-slightly, a sign that Kankuro and Temari took to mean he wasn't about to smother Mitsuko in a mountain of sand for insulting him. The two sand siblings shot each other wry smiles, before they turned back to their youngest brother.

"Are you even okay with taking this position?" Mitsuko asked shrewdly, leaning forward on the table and stretching her arms out until her fingertips tapped his elbows. Gaara didn't move, but his smile disappeared at her question.

"It's an interesting proposition," he murmured at last. His tone turned faintly mocking as he continued. "They want a demon to lead their village. My entire life, I was never good enough for anyone, to the point where they tried to kill me to get rid of me. And suddenly, they need me. To protect them, to govern, I don't know. But they need me. I'm not sure how to take that."

"Tell 'em to shove it, if ya want," Mitsuko muttered into her arms, fingertips drumming along his elbow. "You don't owe them anything." She lifted her head, drawing her hands back quickly and leaned her chin on them. "Or do you?"

"I don't think he does," Temari remarked dryly, catching Gaara's gaze over the top of Mitsuko's head.

"Well, hold on now. Maybe not," Mitsuko conceded. "But think about it. If you accepted the position, who would you be accepting _for_. Doesn't the Hokag- er, _Kaze_kage look after his people? If you're going to accept, for any reason, then why not do it for your village? They need a leader they can put their faith in and trust to protect them when they need it. That was what the Hokage was. I think you can be that too, Gaara."

Gaara was silent, staring flatly across the table at the dark haired girl who was fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Aaaanyways," Mitsuko continued quickly, the gaze of all three Sand siblings starting to make her antsy. "You do what you gotta. Or what you want to. I'm, uh…I'm gonna go for a walk." She leapt up from her seat and beat a hasty exit, leaving the siblings to stew in thoughtful silence for a few moments.

Finally, it was Kankuro who broke it, clearing his throat pointedly. "Well, Gaara…you have to admit…she does kind of have a point."

* * *

Mitsuko kicked at the sand under her feet, little clouds of dust rolling up in front of her.

"Che," she muttered, throwing her arms up and placing them behind her head. "When am I gonna learn to keep my nose out of other people's business?"

_**Is that a rhetorical question?**_

_Sort of. Nosy._

_**Insolent pup. What's wrong with offering advice? Well, other than the fact that it's you offering it.**_

_Did you see the way they were looking at me? _Mitsuko ignored Tsubaki's jab, focusing instead on her own problems. _Like I'd grown another head. Way to make me feel smart, huh? I guess I probably shouldn't have said anything; I don't even know what the hell Gaara went through as a kid. Who am I to tell him what to do now?_

_**You offered your honest opinion, Mitsuko. They cannot fault you for that. I can only imagine what he's been through, with Shukaku as his bijuu, but if he allows the Hachibi to continue to influence himself and his future decisions, then perhaps it would be better if he did not choose to accept the position.**_

_You really think Shukaku still had a hold on him?_

_**Mm. Well, perhaps not as greatly as before. He does indeed seem less…'bat-shit crazy' as you so eloquently put it. It may be a sign that he is overcoming the Hachibi's inherent nature. Do you believe it is enough for him to lead an entire village?**_

_I think it's enough for him to choose for himself. I don't think anything you, I, or his siblings could say should or could influence his decision if that's the case. Let him make up his own mind._

_**Such wise words, kit. Are you feeling all right?**_

_Shut up, Tsubaki. I can be analytically pertinent when the time calls for it. _

_**Did you just use the words 'analytically pertinent'? I think you need to lie down.**_

_I'm going to buy a cat. _

_**You wouldn't dare.**_

_Watch me!_

Mitsuko marched angrily along the streets, ignoring the heat of the sun as it bore down on her exposed neck and arms. _Gonna get a cat! _kept running through her mind as she stormed off, scanning the local vendors for, presumably, a cat. Anyone who was crazy enough to be out on the streets at this time of day abruptly about-faced and wisely kept out of sight of the visibly annoyed demon vessel.

Nearly two hours later, she ended up at what appeared to be a training ground. It was predictably empt, considering it was too hot to be doing much training. Apparently, Gaara wasn't kidding when he said no one was outside when the sun was out. It was like a damn oven!

Mitsuko tugged at the collar of her shirt; she felt like she was roasting, despite wearing as little as was decently possible. Upon her arrival, Temari had almost immediately forced her into clothes that were less restrictive, and less prone to causing heat stroke. So, needless to say, her sweaters and sweatpants had been literally thrown in the garbage. She was now forced to wear a majority of fishnet covering, with a small tank top and shorts to cover all the necessary bits. The exposure wasn't something that pleased Mitsuko, but seeing Gaara's reaction when he saw her new Suna attire was kind of worth it.

_Mitsuko stepped into the room, tugging fruitlessly at the ridiculously short tank top that was hardly able to be called 'decent.' Temari followed along behind her, smirking at her own handiwork. "Stop tugging on it, Mitsuko," she growled, smacking the younger girl upside the head. "You're going to stretch it."_

"_Well, excuuuuse me if I'd rather not flash everyone in a ten mile radius! This isn't a shirt; it's a Kleenex!"_

"_Hey, girl, I'll have you know that shirt belonged to me when I was your age. Be grateful, insolent brat!" She promptly smacked Mitsuko upside the head again._

"_Oi, knock that off, you jerk!" Mitsuko cried, cradling her abused cranium in her hands. "You're gonna give me brain damage!"_

"_It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Temari quipped, smirk back in place._

_Mitsuko gasped, pride obviously wounded, and struck a pose with her hands fisted on her hips. "Che, coming from a woman who thinks it's cool to wear her hair like a pineapple?"_

"_This happens to be the latest style-"_

"_You call that style? Ha! I've seen more style on a dog!"_

"_Why you little brat! Come here!"_

_The generic insults had quite quickly dissolved into a wrestling match in which Mitsuko tried to yank out Temari's ponytails and Temari was determined to smother Mitsuko with a pillow. The two grappled with one another even as a pair of footsteps entered the room. A very loud, very pointed throat cleared and the two broke apart, breathing heavily and glaring daggers across the room._

"_What's going on?"_

_Temari blanched, turning to stare at Gaara, who was watching the two with an impassive expression. He raised an non-existent eyebrow in his sister's direction, before his gaze swiveled over to land on Mitsuko._

"_Che, nothing," Mitsuko growled, crossing her arms over her chest and the tiny tank top that Gaara almost immediately noticed, much to his personal chagrin. "We were just exchanging fashion tips."_

"_Fashion tips?" Kankuro exclaimed from beside his brother. He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "Looked more like wrestling tips, if you ask me."_

"_Shut it, Kankuro," Mitsuko snapped, earning an amused quirk of the lips from the puppet-master. She glanced quickly at Gaara, only to find him staring at her. Or, more pointedly, staring at her chest. Realizing exactly what he was looking at, Mitsuko blushed hotly. "Wh-what…" she managed to choke out, before her brain kicked in and it all clicked together. "Pervert!"_

_Kankuro and Temari looked surprised as Mitsuko promptly grabbed the nearest object (which happened to be a rather expensive vase) and promptly chucked it at the red-headed Jinchuuriki._

_Gaara had been so mesmerized, he didn't notice the vase until it smacked him in the head._

Seeing the vase smack Gaara in the face had been totally worth the suckage of wearing such a tiny shirt. And of course, the subsequent fact that he promptly covered up any and all staring from then on was also pretty sweet (even if he was super terrible at being so nonchalant about it; she could always still see the blush on his cheeks when she caught him staring). It was hilarious to see the stoic Jinchuuriki so out-of-sorts.

Mitsuko was startled out of her thoughts when a sudden presence appeared in the training ground with her. "Yo!" she called, turning around and waving with one hand.

Gaara strolled forward, arms across his chest. When he reached her, he raised one brow-ridge, his eyes traveling from her face, down to her chest, where a decidedly fluffy little animal was being cradled in her arm. "Is that…a cat?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Why is it a cat?'

"…Why do you have it?"

"'Cuz I wanted one?"

"Is that a question, or an answer?"

"Don't get nit-picky, Red. Just accept that it's a cat, and move on."

"Fine."

"Anything else?"

"…What's it's name?"

"…"

"Well?"

"Gaara."

"What?"

"No, that's it's name."

"You named it 'Gaara'?"

"Yep."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"Did you do it just to aggravate me?"

"Yep."

"You're hopeless."

"Yep."

Mitsuko cuddled 'Gaara' to her chest (the cat, not the boy) and chuckled. "Oh, just accept it. I bet you'll love having him around. I hear animals can help you live longer. Something about lowering stress levels, I think."

Gaara remained silent, his eyes drifting from the little orange cat that, unfortunately, had the same name as him, back to the girl who was holding said cat. Sighing softly, he turned and beckoned for her to follow him. "What were you doing out here in the training grounds?"

"I got lost," Mitsuko admitted sheepishly, cuddling the cat to her. "Your village all looks the same. It's not like anyone can say 'go past the blue house on the left.' Number one, there's no houses, just sandstone buildings. And number two, everything is brown. My direction dyslexia is running rampant here."

Gaara resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What was it about her that intrigued him again? Because he couldn't quite remember anymore. Such a weird girl. "Perhaps if I have Temari draw you up a map, you'll be less prone to…direction dyslexia."

"Gaara, there are just some things you can't cure."

"Mew."

"No, not you, Gaara. I meant the other Gaara."

"…I think you should name it something else."

"You don't like 'Gaara'?"

"Mew?"

"No, not you. The other one."

"Something _else_, Mitsuko."

"But he already knows his name! I can't change it now! Right, Gaara?"

"No. Change it."

"I was talking to the cat."

"Do you see how this can get confusing?"

"Not at all."

_Sigh_. "You're an idiot."

"Did you just call my cat an idiot?"

"No, I called _you_ an idiot."

"That's hurtful, Gaara."

"Mew."

"No, the other Gaara."

"Mew."

"No, the other- I'm changing his fucking name."

Gaara smirked as he turned his head away from the girl at his side. The sun was hot on his neck, and for someone who was fairly pale, it wasn't exactly comfortable. With a wave of his hand, his sand snaked up behind them, forming a shield-like umbrella over the two street-goers.

"You're getting better at not smothering people, huh?" Mitsuko commented, wiggling her fingers in front of the cat at it pawed at her.

"If that's what you want to call it," Gaara replied dryly.

"I'm going to call him 'Chibi,'" Mitsuko remarked off-handedly, and Gaara turned to observe the wriggling animal in her arms. He didn't quite understand people's need to have some tiny, furry creature in their home, much less a cat or dog. Animals had always been afraid of him (bar this cat, apparently, but it belonged to Mitsuko, so that could quite possibly explain _everything_) and whenever he'd tried to get near them as a child, they'd always run away. He even remembered killing one or two that tried to attack him when he got too close.

But that was neither here or now.

"I accepted."

Mitsuko blinked, her hand falling away from where it was wriggling in front of the newly named 'Chibi.' She turned to pin him with a curious stare. "Accepted what?"

"The position of…Kazekage."

"Oh-ho? You _did_ now?" A smile blossomed across her face, and Gaara tried to ignore the strange fluttering that suddenly bloomed in the pit of his stomach. "Interesting. So what finally helped you decide?" Mitsuko was a bit worried that she'd influenced his decision a bit too much; she was the _last_ person who should be prodding him to do _any_thing.

"I just…realized a few things," Gaara murmured, his eyes drifting to the sand at their feet.

"Like what?" Mitsuko prodded, tearing her gaze away from Gaara and focusing on the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set, but it didn't seem to do much for the heat. It was still hotter than a furnace, despite the striking pinks and purples that began to appear in the sky along the village.

"It's not important," Gaara admitted, turning away. "I just…sorted things out. And I knew what I had to do in the end."

Mitsuko was silent, a small smile curling over her face as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. _I see. So he figured things out on his own, then. Good for you, Gaara. _Tsubaki was oddly silent, but she had been since Mitsuko had made the abrupt decision to purchase a cat.

"Well, then," she exclaimed cheerfully, so suddenly that she nearly startled her new kitten from her arms. Gaara blinked back his surprise, canting his head slightly to acknowledge her. "How about we go get something to eat? Your treat! After all-" She shot him a wicked grin, and Gaara couldn't help the small, answering smile that tugged briefly at his lips. "-you _are_ the new Kazekage, after all."

* * *

A/N: Freakin' took me like, a week to finally manage even this much. Ugh. I feel like I've lost muh mojo. Anyway, I'm so thankful for all the favs and alerts, but reviews are amazing, and give me reason to write. So R&R please and thanks!


	10. Changing Destinies

A/N: (Dramatic pose) I VOW to finish this story by the end of the year. YOSH. Hopefully sooner, since I have the summer off (And no job. WHY?). I plan to update as frequently as possible. I've got an idea of where we're going from here. Maybe an update a week, or more? Sorry for the wait. I've sat down and had a good long talk with myself about the merits of finishing stories and the fact that I suck for not doing it. This chapter is dedicated MethodOfInsanity, first and foremost (And also to all my lovely reviewers and favorite-ers). Your review made me smile, and it got me off my butt and writing again; you're so awesome! I intended to write earlier, but real life got in the way. I recently received my associate's degree and have decided to pursue teaching English in Japan. So once I receive my four year degree, I'm hoping to head across the water and do some EDUCATING. YEAH.

Thanks everyone, for sticking with this story and favoriting and alerting and reviewing. You are the BEST!

Also, be aware that this story will slowly veer from the timeline of the manga and the anime, and become an AU eventually.

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. No profit being made. If I got paid for this, I'd update more often. Lol!

* * *

**Chapter 10: Changing Destinies **

Gaara had to dodge to the side to avoid the noodle Mitsuko had inadvertently flicked his way when she pointed her chopsticks at him.

"So hey," she began, wiping a bit of juice from her lip and scooting her almost empty bowl away. "You never explained why we had to go help Konoha out. You just said-" Mitsuko schooled her expression into as deadpan a look as she could, imitating Gaara's voice, poorly. "'We're going to help a few friends in dire need of assistance.' But you never said why. And then we got caught up, or _you _got caught up, rather, fighting that freaky spiny-bone guy." She set her chopsticks down, folding her arms on the table in front of her, where Chibi, the cat, was napping peacefully beside her bowl.

Gaara wrinkled his nose slightly - a cat sitting on the table was highly unsanitary - but ignored the feline in favor of fixing the girl beside him with a blank stare. "First of all, your impression of me was horrible. And second, we were told that a genin of the Leaf had been kidnapped and Konoha had sent out a squad that wasn't adequately equipped to take on the task. We were there as back-up," he supplied succinctly, staring into what was left of his bowl of soup. "That's all."

"That's all, huh? Seems like a pretty odd request to me. Who was the kidnapped genin? And for that matter, how does someone kidnap a _ninja_? Being kidnapped when you're a ninja defeats the point of…_being _a ninja."

Gaara's flat look told her he wasn't amused by her attempt at humor. "The genin who was supposedly 'kidnapped' was Sasuke Uchiha."

"Say _what_?" Mitsuko's exclamation startled Chibi awake, and the little kitten's fur fluffed up as it hissed angrily up at it's owner. "Sasuke was kidnapped? Duck-butt hair? For real? I thought he was like… a super incredible fighting machine. I mean, he did give _you _a run for your money. So who on earth could kidnap _him_?"

The sand shinobi beside her growled softly, the quiet sound the only indication of his displeasure. "He didn't give me a 'run for my money.' He is _weak_. And the next time we meet, I will destroy him. Besides, I don't think he was kidnapped. The Uchiha brat went of his own volition."

"I don't think a Kazekage should go around threatening to destroy ninjas from other villages," the demon vessel quipped airily. "And knowing Sasuke, he probably did. I'm just wondering what it was that was so important that he felt he had to leave Konoha to get it. Why do _you _think he left?"

Gaara shrugged one thin shoulder, and reached into his pocket to pull out a small stack of bills and coin, placing it on the counter. "Why else would someone like that leave their village behind? The Uchiha seeks power, and he will do whatever he can to get it. I don't know who he thinks he'll get it from, but it must be promising if he would deign to leave behind his supposed _friends_." He reached down and hauled his discarded gourd onto his back, adjusting the strap as Mitsuko scooped a still disgruntled Chibi up into her arms.

"You really think so, huh?" Mitsuko commented thoughtfully, strolling along beside Gaara and silently reveling in the fact that the sun had gone down enough that she wouldn't have to worry about burning to a crisp. "I always thought Sasuke was kind of off. I mean, the guy could've had practically any girl he wanted and he never even batted an eyelash at them. So he's either gay, or crazy."

Gaara slanted her a look that said he thought _she _was crazy and folded his arms over his chest as he walked. "Perhaps. The only sure thing now is that he is no longer a part of Konoha. At least, unofficially. I believe, officially, they are still saying he was kidnapped."

"No doubt due to Naruto."

The red-head cast her a glance out of the corner of his eyes, and she took that as he cue to elaborate. "That kid is like a dog with a bone when he gets it into his head that he wants something. Sasuke was his friend; I'd hazard to say his best friend, besides Sakura, of course. So there's no way he'd let the new Hokage label Sasuke a missing-nin, especially when there's a possibility that he might _actually _have been kidnapped, or he could come back. If he's a missing-nin, he won't be allowed to just waltz back into Konoha, and he'll have hunters on his tail from _all _of the villages, not just Konoha. And the other villages will most likely kill him when they find him; if not because he's dangerous, then most certainly for his sharingan. It's all really complicated, but Naruto is always at the root of every problem and solution, so you can bet he has a lot to do with it all." She reached over and patted him on his shoulder. "You should be happy about that. The little pest is certainly determined to be the best ninja and friend he can be, to Sasuke, to you, and to anyone else he comes across. He'll be a powerful ally one day when he becomes Hokage."

Gaara raised one disbelieving brow ridge. "You truly believe he will become Hokage, do you?" he inquired softly as they neared his home.

Mitsuko nodded. "Sure. Why not? The kid's got guts and determination in spades. If anyone can do it, he can."

Gaara stared thoughtfully at the approaching abode, his eyes narrowed slightly. Naruto was the reason for all the change; he was the reason Mitsuko was here, the reason Gaara was now the way he was, and slowly getting better, and he was, partially, the reason the red-head had chosen to become Kazekage. A faint smile tugged a the corner of Gaara's lips; it seemed Naruto really was at the root of every problem and solution.

It figured.

* * *

Mitsuko flopped down in the dirt, rubbing the back of her aching legs. "You know what I don't get?" she grumbled, giving up on gaining some feeling back in her worn out calves and flopping back onto the ground. "I'm not even part of Suna. How come I have to go on a mission with you?" She brushed her bangs back to glare up at the blonde woman hovering over her. The scowl on the older girl's face was matched with an equally impressive one from Mitsuko as the demon vessel whined and threw an arm over her eyes.

"Because you have to earn your keep somehow. What, did you think all those clothes and the food and the housing was free or something?" Temari demanded, kneeling beside her and moving her hands through a practiced series of seals. Mitsuko sat up abruptly as an indent appeared in the ground, staring at it curiously as Temari rose and moved gracefully towards the faint tree line.

"Well, considering I'm wearing _your _hand-me-downs and I live at _your _house, yeah, I kinda did," the younger girl replied, watching in confusion as Temari began to gather wood. "What exactly are you doing? What's with the hole in the ground?"

Huffing in exasperation, the blonde half-turned towards the tired vessel and growled. "I'm making a fire. That-" She pointed imperiously at the indent with a stick in her hand. "-is a fire pit. Idiot. Now get up and help me gather some wood. Unless you want to freeze tonight."

Blowing a tired raspberry, Mitsuko hauled herself to feet, following the blonde to the tree line. They were camped just on the edge of Konoha and Suna territory, where the desert met the trees, and while the vegetation was sparse, there was enough to provide cover and shelter from the elements for the night.

As she gathered wood, Mitsuko silently cursed Gaara and his eyebrow-less face. He'd decided that it was time for her to start 'pulling her weight,' so to speak, and had promptly assigned her to a few boring missions around Suna. When she'd informed him that she'd never been on a team, worked with anyone, or generally been sent on any mission of any kind in her life, he'd decided to tack her onto an already existing Genin team and forced her to do menial work around town. It was, to say the least, annoying and slightly embarrassing to have to work with kids who were younger than _Naruto_. They were always asking her questions, and most of the time, she had no idea how to even answer those questions, so they just continued to persist and bug her until they found one she _could_.

Most of the missions with the genin team consisted of helping out in the local hospital, running chores for the elderly, and even once finding someone's lost cat. The cat mission had been the last straw, and Mitsuko had quite literally ripped down Gaara's door and demanded he remove her from the team. Kankuro, who had been in the room with his brother going over some paperwork at the time, had fled in justified terror when he saw the normally easy-going girl all trussed up in her demon form. Gaara, on the other hand, had calmly instructed her to return his door to it's proper place and that she would soon be reassigned to take on missions with his sister.

The missions she'd taken with Temari had been fairly easy, for the most part. It was mostly border patrol, in which she'd be continually lectured on the proper shinobi etiquette and general information about the land of Suna. It was nothing too in-depth, since Mitsuko wasn't technically a part of the village, and it was mostly information that anyone could've found out, such as the name of the local daimyo, the former Kazekages, the founding of Suna and a plethora of ridiculously boring things that Mitsuko had absolutely no interest in (And often tuned out).

The current mission the two of them were on, however, was far more than a simple stint at the border. They were being sent to Konoha, and Mitsuko wasn't sure what exactly they were doing (because she had, quite frankly, zoned out while Gaara was briefing her) but Temari insisted it was all about good will and peace keeping and other such things that were sorely needed in the still painful aftermath of Suna's attack on Konoha. She'd been informed that the Leaf Village now had a new Hokage, and the woman was open to keeping the two villages allied and promoting good will and peace between them.

"Smart lady," Mitsuko mumbled, her arms now laden with sticks, twigs and the odd clump of wood as she tottered back to the fire pit. Temari was already coaxing a small flame to life, her own pile of tinder and small logs sitting beside her.

"Did you say something?" the blonde asked, glancing up from the flickering fire at the darker haired girl who very nearly tumbled into an ungraceful heap, wood and all, beside the fire. She hid a smirk, finding Mitsuko to be ridiculously amusing.

When Gaara had first instructed her to take the girl under her wing ("But don't _look _like you're taking her under your wing. She might resent it. She's weird like that.") she had been rather dubious of the entire idea. Coexisting in a house was one thing, but working together on missions that had the potential to evolve into life or death situations was another thing entirely. However, Mitsuko had proven herself to be an adequate partner, if not an adequate shinobi, so far. She was still having a difficult time with teamwork, but Temari was sure that within a year, she'd be able to work with just about anyone without batting an eyelash. The only person she seemed able to work with relatively fluidly was Gaara, and they couldn't exactly have the Kazekage wandering around with a wayward demon vessel at his side all the time.

Temari's smirk morphed into a frown as Mitsuko waved her question off, saying she was only talking to herself. Lately, the council had been getting pushy and nosey where the female demon vessel was concerned. The story that Kankuro had woven that she was on loan from Konoha (and the subsequent falsified documents and paperwork he'd provided) had only stemmed the tide of questions at the beginning. The group of old fogies had been so concerned with getting Gaara into office, that they hadn't paid Mitsuko much mind. But the longer she stayed, the more questions arose, and the more the council was demanding to know who she really was. Temari knew they weren't stupid; they'd been elected as elders and leaders of the council for a reason. They most likely saw past the fabricated story and documents and knew there was more to Mitsuko than met the eye. Baki, the only one on the council that Temari had any sort of real respect for was the _only _one who took the story and Mitsuko's presence in stride.

His cohorts weren't so easily appeased, despite assurances from the Sand siblings that Mitsuko posed no threat to Suna. While this mission they were currently on was most assuredly a mission of good-will, it was also a mission to keep Mitsuko out of the council's line of fire, and keep them from asking too many more awkward and unwanted questions.

Besides, the blonde thought, her smirk returning as the demon girl groaned and flopped back into the dirt, Mitsuko needed to be introduced to the new Hokage. They most assuredly had _things _to discuss.

* * *

"I just don't think this is a good idea. Coming back so soon," Mitsuko whined, trying to tug her hand from Temari's ironclad grip.

Once Konoha had come into sight, Mitsuko had almost immediately started having reservations. She'd been fine and dandy with going to Konoha until her brain (Otherwise known as Tsubaki) kicked in and said 'you know you have to go _into _Konoha, right?' She'd promptly refused to continue, and Temari had been all but forced to drag her to the village.

"Stop acting like a child, you idiot," the blonde snapped, jerking her forward roughly by her arm and marching her forward like a mother might an obstinate child. Mitsuko whined again and flailed dramatically, sagging her weight against the girl behind her and nearly toppling both of them to the ground. "It's just Konoha. It isn't like you're a missing-nin here or anything. You're just returning for a visit. Now stop-"

"What…exactly is going on here?"

Both women promptly froze and turned to stare at the gates. Leaning against one of the large, supporting pillars, was a boy with spiky hair and a Jounin vest. Mitsuko thought he looked vaguely familiar, and squinted her eyes at him, protests forgotten. She hopped away from Temari, who, without anything to support her weight, nearly face planted in the dirt. "Oh, hey there. Don't I know you from somewhere?"

The man raised one brow, staring flatly at the girl who was steadily beginning to inch into his personal space. _What a drag, _he thought tiredly, rubbing at his ear and flicking away imaginary lint. "I'm Nara Shikamaru," he droned, leaning back a little when Mitsuko leaned forward to scrutinize his face. "I'm here to-"

"_Now _I remember! You're the skinny little kid who fought Temari in the finals rounds of the Chuunin exams, aren't you?"

Shikamaru blinked. "Skinny?"

Before Mitsuko could reply, Temari marched forward and dragged her backwards. "Ignore her," the blonde barked, shoving the sputtering demon vessel behind her. "She's an idiot." Temari's harsh frown slid into a faint smile as she stuck her hand out. Shikamaru eyed the appendage as if it might bite, before tentatively reaching forward and taking it, giving it a firm shake. "No hard feelings, Nara. It's all in the past."

Shikamaru looked slightly surprised, but nodded nonetheless, and beckoned them in through the gates.

"Anyway, as I was saying," he continued once a grumbling Mitsuko and a smug Temari had fallen in line beside him. "I'm here to be your guide. Hokage's orders. And she instructed me to bring you straight to her when you arrived, so we'll be heading to the Hokage tower." He motioned vaguely with his hand, and Mitsuko looked for the familiar building off in the distance.

It had been a while since she'd been here, granted, but it hadn't been that long. Hardly even a year, to be exact. The briefing she and Gaara had given the last time they were here had been purposefully cut short by Mitsuko herself; she wanted the next time she was able to visit Konoha to be lingering, instead of brief and fleeting.

This was certainly going to be anything but fleeting.

* * *

Mitsuko kicked her legs nervously in the chair.

The last time she'd visited this office, she'd been left to her own devices to find the Hokage. Now, however, she waited just outside of the Hokage's office, her only company the steady sound of a pen on paper and the dark haired secretary who had offered her a kind smile when she'd arrived. Temari was currently in the office, and what she and the leader were discussing was a bit of a mystery. Probably something related to peace or village-to-village relations.

Whipping her head to the side when the door clicked open, she rose from her seat as Temari exited, jerking her head backwards in a sign that it was Mitsuko's turn to enter. Gulping down her nervousness (And sorely wishing she could just let Tsubaki take over like the last time), the younger girl scurried past Temari and into the Hokage's office.

She honestly wasn't sure what to expect when she'd heard the Hokage was a female. Obviously, whomever had taken over had to be one of the best of the best, or they wouldn't have even been considered for the position.

As the door closed behind her, Mitsuko lifted her eyes to study the woman sitting behind the desk. She was young (much younger than Mitsuko had expected) and bore a strange, diamond shaped marking on her forehead. Her hair was a pale blond, lassoed into two pigtails that sat along her shoulders and trailed down to her chest (Which was massive, the girl noted with a faint blush). The woman's dark amber eyes observed her placidly, her fingers steepled in front of her chin as she looked the newcomer up and down.

"So," she commented dryly, and Mitsuko jumped a little at the abrupt sound of her slightly scratchy voice. "You're Kimiko Mitsuko, eh? I must say, you're not what I expected."

Feeling more and more out of place by the second, Mitsuko cleared her throat, stepping around the chair that was situated just before the Hokage's desk and sitting down gingerly. "If we're being frank, then I have to admit that neither are you, Hokage-sama."

The crystal clearness of the woman's laugh surprised her, and Mitsuko felt a bit of the tension in the room ease. "My, you certainly are refreshing. Most people wouldn't have dreamed of saying something so blunt, especially to a Hokage." She waved her hand, her lips quirking upwards in a faint smile. "I'm Tsunade. I have heard a lot about you, both from some of my shinobi, and from the Third Hokage as well. He left a file on you, you know."

Mitsuko looked visibly surprised, her brows raising up as she stared at the folder that Tsunade lifted from the desk, waving it lightly in the air. "He did? What on earth could possibly be in a file about _me_?"

"Oh," Tsunade drawled, lifting an eyebrow and flipping through the pages. "Quite a few interesting things. But the most interesting of all, I believe, is your friend Tsubaki." She fixed Mitsuko with a penetrating look, and the girl couldn't help but squirm uncomfortably in her chair. "Tell me a bit about her, if you will. Your file states that she spoke directly to the Third. I'd very much like to know how that was possible. And I'd like to know about you, and how you came to be…what you are."

Folding her hands on her lap, Mitsuko parted her lips, a sigh escaping as she stared at the polished oak of the Hokage's desk. "Er, well, to start with, Tsubaki is technically an entity all on her own, but she's also a part of me. As far as I know, we can't be separated. Kind of like a body and a soul, except that the body has two souls inside of it. Tsubaki can use my body as her own, from time to time, although it does wear her out. I-I'm not sure what that file says, but during the attack on Konoha, she was the one who fought on your side, not me. Well, mostly not me. I was kind of a third party to all of it until very near the end."

"Yes, so I noticed. The files note that you worked with Inuzuka to secure the village and the academy students as well. I would like to formally thank you for that, if no one has taken the time to do so." Tsunade leaned forward slightly, placing the folder back on the desk. "So how is it that Tsubaki came to be…a part of you?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

Mitsuko furrowed her brow, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Truth be told, I, personally, don't have much of an idea. I only know bits and pieces of what Tsubaki has told me, and my memories from my childhood aren't exactly the best; mostly just fragments that I've blocked out. I'm guessing they weren't pleasant, and there's a reason I don't remember. I do know that I was outcast from my village when I was four. Tsubaki was basically like my mother and father. She taught me everything I needed to know."

Tsunade made a nose of affirmation in the back of her throat, closing her eyes briefly as she digested the information. "Would it be possible for me to speak with Tsubaki herself?" she queried, and Mitsuko looked faintly surprised at the request.

"She's been pretty quiet lately, Hokage-sama. But I don't see why not. She'll be able to answer your questions a lot better than I can."

Closing her eyes, Mitsuko looked inward, focusing her consciousness and sending it into the cage of her mind where Tsubaki resided. The dog demoness had been oddly silent for the past few days, but when Mitsuko reached out to her, the Youkai responded placidly, her soothing presence filling her mind.

_**You're worrying about me.**_

_Well, you can't blame me. You haven't said much these past couple days. Usually I can't get you to shut up._

_**I've been thinking about a lot of things.**_

_Oh? What things?_

_**We'll discuss them later. Right now, I believe my presence has been requested.**_

Mitsuko allowed the Inu Youkai's consciousness to flow past hers, the subtle shift in power and chakra coursing through her body. As her lashes lifted, her eyes slowly bled gold, teeth elongating into fangs and blunt tipped fingernails lengthening into claws as they tapped against her folded arms.

Tsunade watched the change with a sort of abstract fascination; of course she knew about Naruto and the Kyuubi and how the brat had taken on characteristics of the demon fox when he'd battled the Uchiha kid, but she hadn't personally seen it. Seeing this up close was like a front row seat to a subtle transformation in slow motion, and probably nowhere near as frightening and uncontrolled as Naruto's had been. This girl was certainly comfortable with her 'demon half,' and it showed, in the way that Mitsuko's, or rather, Tsubaki's, lips curled up into a warm smile.

"Tsunade-sama," the demonized girl murmured, inclining her head slightly and revealing pale streaks of white through the short, unruly mane of black hair. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard a great deal about you in my time. You were always revered as the best medic-nin of our time."

It was Tsunade's turn to look surprised. "You've heard of me?" Folding her hands together atop her desk, she offered the demoness a faint, half-smile. "I have to say, I'm flattered. But I am afraid I've never heard of _you_, Tsubaki-sama. From what I've garnered from this file, when you arrived here you were concerned with the whereabouts of both the Kyuubi and the Ichibi, and you indicated that you, too, were a demon. You said the two would seek you out. I am aware that your vessel is acquainted with both the Nine-tails Jinchuuriki and the one tailed Shukaku."

"Indeed," Tsubaki agreed, nodding slightly. "You are right on all counts. That file must have been very detailed. They did seek me out, but for the most part, it was their vessels in control, and not the demons, so I believe it was done subconsciously, or at the subconscious behest of their beasts. They presented no problem to my person, so I made no move to engage them in battle." She left out the fact that Gaara had, upon more than one occasion, tried to kill Mitsuko. That was best swept under the rug for now.

"I came to Konoha with the intent to find the Kyuubi first and foremost. I was concerned that he would be a problem once he was sealed away, but I've come to discover that I was quite wrong. Naruto Uzumaki is a brilliant child, and I do believe he has the potential to utilize the situation he has found himself in to it's fullest extent. He will be a great shinobi, and a great asset to your village. As for the one-tail…I am sure you've heard he has become Kazekage?"

Tsunade grunted in agreement, closing her eyes briefly. "Yes, I was aware. I don't know how wise the decision is, but Suna is not my village, and it's decisions are not mine to make."

"Of course," Tsubaki conceded, looking amused. "But I do have reason to believe that the decision to instate the child as Kazekage was a just one. He isn't as unstable as he initially was, and I believe he is making progress in terms of…normalizing, so to speak. It was a good choice, in my opinion."

"Well, that's at least one fear put to rest," Tsunade conceded, blowing out a long breath through her nose. "But now we come back to the entire demon issue. The Kyuubi and Ichibi are both tailed beasts, and it was my understanding that there was only nine. Not ten. So tell me, Tsubaki…who and what exactly are you?"

The dog demoness gave a short bark of laughter, startling the Hokage slightly. "A good question, Tsunade-sama. But I assure you, I am most certainly a demon. I am not a tailed demon; however, the tailed beasts are my brethren, and you could say we 'grew up' together, in a manner of speaking. I'm technically the tenth beast, but I do not possess ten tails. I have only one, but it does not hold any power, unlike the others. I'm a sort of…cast off of the nine tailed beasts. Even demons can have outcasts."

"So why then, are you sealed away? What were your crimes? The tailed beasts are well known for their hatred and dislike of humans, and all have been sealed away to stop them from destroying our villages. Can the same be said of you?"

Tsubaki blinked slowly, a fanged smile curling across her face as she leaned forward slightly. "Would it comfort you to know I'd been sealed away for crimes against humans?" she questioned softly, and Tsunade was surprised, and a bit disturbed, to hear the dark quality her tone had taken on.

"You tell me, Tsubaki-sama," the Hokage fired back, her own voice laced with dangerous undertones. "Because I'm quite _curious _to know."

The demoness leaned back and laughed again, her eyes shimmering with amusement as she felt the power coiling inside the human female's body. "No need to worry, Tsunade-sama. I was not imprisoned for any crime of mine. In fact, you could say I was a bit of an innovator; the first demon to choose to seal herself away. Can you imagine?" The shock that spread across Tsunade's face dragged another bark of laughter from the demon's throat.

"_I_ chose to seal myself away, and _I_ chose my vessel. It is my fault that Mitsuko was cast from her village; I had not intended it to be so. When I first chose her clan, she was offered for my use as a vessel. The humans seemed to be rather fond of the idea of having a demon in their midst, but unfortunately, they had not conferred with their leader when they made this decision. It took nearly four years for the secret to be discovered, but when it was, Mitsuko's execution was ordered. Her father was the one who stole her away from the village; I am certain that her infantile mind saw this as an act of betrayal and abandonment at the time, but it was upon my behest that he did so. If she had stayed within the confines of the village, she would have been killed."

Tsubaki's gaze drifted down to her lap, and Tsunade saw a hint of remorse flash across the Youkai's face. "It is my fault that she wasn't allowed to live as a normal human. Even now, it seems she gets herself into situations that she should not be in, and has done things she should never have even contemplated."

Tsunade leaned back in her seat, digesting the information the demon had divulged. It was a strange story, to be certain. She'd never heard of a demon sealing itself away; the other tailed beasts had all been captured and sealed when they became too troublesome to allow to roam free.

"That's…very surprising, I have to admit. So, Tsubaki-sama, now that you know where Kyuubi and Ichibi are, what do you plan on doing about it? And what of Mitsuko? Will you allow her to settle in a village? Konoha would be happy to have her, if so."

Tsubaki glanced up, a frown marring her features. "I have no intention of doing anything about Ichibi and Kyuubi. They may do as they please, as long as it does not threaten Mitsuko or those she considers friends. But I don't anticipate either of them causing any trouble; at least, not anytime soon. If they do, I will take it upon myself to eliminate the threat, no matter the cost. As for the matter of settling Mitsuko…I will allow her to choose. She has made a great deal of friends in Konoha, but something tells me her heart lies in Suna."

"Oh?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow as a faint smile tugged at her pale lips. "And what makes you say that?"

"Call it intuition," Tsubaki replied ambiguously, chuckling in the back of her throat. "Regardless, I believe that our meeting is over. As you well know, Mitsuko will be residing in the village for a short time, along with the Temari girl from Suna. I trust there will be no issues with this."

Tsunade inclined her head faintly, her eyes gleaming beneath her dark lashes. "Of course not, Tsubaki-sama. Mitsuko is free to stay as long as the mission entails. But I would very much appreciate an answer regarding her permanent state of residence in the future."

The demoness rose fluidly, and her eyes slowly began to lose their sharpened edge, her nails sinking back into their normal, blunt form, and her fangs receding back to unnaturally sharpened teeth. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. I look forward to speaking to you again upon my departure."

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A/N: Whew. Another chapter. I plan on starting the next one tomorrow. This weekend is gonna be hectic, but hopefully I'll have a new chapter up ASAP. Thanks for staying with me guys, and as always pleeeaaaassseee review!


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